The Sentinel and The Ninja AU
by not-a-cop
Summary: An au where things turn out a little different. Heidi is the ninja and must protect the town, but the appearance of a new hero sets off a series of events that could change everything.
1. Chapter 1

Viceroy ran, he ran as hard as he could. He was both anxious and excited, this was it, the moment where they'd see all their hard work and time preparing pay off. He shoved a few employees and roboapes to get to Mcfists office.

"Sir!" Viceroy practically screamed as he burst into the room.

"Gah!" screamed a startled Mcfist who nearly fell off his chair. He got back up the irritation clear on his face. "Yell into the intercom why don't you! Jeez Viceroy!"

"Sir, just as I'd predicted a monster is attacking the school right now, at the last day of summer and the first day of school!" Viceroy replied giddily, which faded when he saw Mcfist's bored expression.

"So?" Mcfist said dryly.

"So now we can finally test the thing, sir" Viceroy said rubbing his brow in frustration.

"The thing?" Mcfist said confused.

"The thing we've been working on for 8 years sir!" Viceroy said, losing his cool. "It's finally ready for a field test and now we have a monster to test it on!"

"Bah!" Mcfist said waving viceroy off. Then suddenly he got it. "Viceroy! Do you know what this mean?!"

"That we can finally test the thing like I've been trying to tell y—"

"THAT WE CAN FINALLY TEST THE THING!"

Viceroy just let out a frustrated growl. Mcfist grabbed him and basically dragged him down the building.

* * *

Heidi Weinerman whistled a tune while she put her books away in her locker, while she enjoyed summer, she loved being back in school. Not for the education, for her popularity, her friends, her webshow and her _other_ _job_ and not to mention….Howard?

"Oh, that's right" Heidi said realizing why Howard was here and walking up to her, while it was already her second year of high school it was his freshmen year.

"Yo, what's up Heidi, my big sister!" Howard said, rather loudly.

Heidi rolled her eyes, it was clear Howard was trying to establish his social status in the eyes of his peers by letting everyone know he was Heidi's brother. "Nice try Howard, but you're going to have to get your own popularity, and not ride off mine"

"But that takes work!" Howard whined. "C'mon Heidi!"

"Nope, no can do Howard" Heidi reaffirmed. "Now stop talking to me, I have to get ready for my me cast"

Suddenly a monster crashed through the school halls, as it goes.

 _No no no!_ Heidi started shaking her head and hands in frustration. Howard bounced from one heel to the other and looked at Heidi confused. Heidi sighed and pulled out from her back pack, the ninja mask, the mask worn by the guardian of norrisville for over 800 years. She hesitated putting it on.

"Isn't it like, ninja time or something" Howard said, wondering why Heidi wasn't ninjaing out, as she had been doing for a year. Howard had found out by accident by the end of his last middle school year, naturally he wanted to scream it to the world, but Heidi had been very _persuasive,_ and by persuasive he meant scary.

"This can't be happening now" Heidi said, the irritation in her voice reaching a boiling point. "I had to cancel half my shows last year! My rating took a big cut because of these stupid monster attacks!"

It's not that she didn't like being the ninja, she loved it, who wouldn't? It's just that she had other commitments in her life, being the ninja didn't take up all of her life, most sure, but the rest she had to protect.

Howards face lit up with a _genius_ idea, his face twisted into a smug grin. "I'll cover on the show for you"

"No" she replied with anger.

"Yes"

"No!"

"C'mon Heidi, it's the only way. Either let your status go down the shoob hole, or let me cover for you" Howard argued, which to Heidi's dismay was a very good argument. She reluctantly gave him the keys to her studio/office.

"I hate you" Were her last words as she ducked into the girls' bathroom and let the masks ancient fabric cover her. Transforming her into the ninja of norrissville!

She dashed and flipped out of the school noticing that the monster has made its way towards the city. She used her ninja scarf to swing from building to building, when she arrived at where the monster had stopped, it seemed that some other people had already engaged the monster in combat.

"Ugh, Mcforcers" Heidi said aloud in disgust. The McForcers were trained soldiers who were sent by Mcfist to fight and detain the monsters, at least that what the public believed, what they actually were to Heidi was a bunch of no goods who did nothing until Heidi beat the monster and they pretended they were vital to its defeat.

The Red monster roared in anger, and the Mcforcers backed away like cowards, having barely harmed it. Leaving the giant red beast to Heidi, as usual. Heidi sighed and struck a fight pose.

"Hey ugly" That got its attention. "Let's dance!"

* * *

A McHover craft sailed through the air. It's was cruising towards the monster fight. The pilot turned on the intercom.

"We're 2 minutes till the destination" He announced. A tall rugged man with bronze skin and a stubble nodded. He made his way down the aircraft making sure to keep his gun pointed towards the ground with the safety on, as any trained soldier knows. His sweat was visible on his brow, his nervousness making his custom Mcfsit industries armour feel heavier with every step, but he wasn't nervous for himself, no he was nervous for someone else.

A panel on the hovercrafts floor opened, revealing how high they were, at the edge of the opening was a boy holding onto a ring attached to the roof, so he wouldn't fall off.

"Here to wish me luck, Scott?" The boy said to the man, apparently named Scott.

"Thought you might be nervous" Scott replied, smiling at the boy.

The boy placed one of his hand on his chin, pretending to look deep in thought. "Hmmmm, not really"

Scott gave off a hearty laugh. "Figured you wouldn't be" he dug something out of his pocket. "Catch" He threw a small object at the boy.

The boy caught it and looked at the object with his eyebrows raised. "Scott, these are your dog tags. I can't keep these"

Scott held up his hands and shook his head. "They're yours now, a good luck charm. Check the back ones, they're new"

The boy never noticed the new tags that were added, he looked up and smiled at Scott after reading them. On the old tags were Scott's name and info, on the new ones were the boys. He read his name again. _Randy Cunningham._

"You're the cheese Scott"

Scott nodded happily, they were interrupted when the light on the wall turned from red to green, signalling it was go time.

"You ready?" Scott asked.

"To see norrisville again after 8 years?" Randy replied. "You bet"

Scott grinned at the boy. "Show time?"

"Show time!" Randy yelled at the top of his lungs as he jumped out of hover craft, letting gravity draw him towards the ground at extreme speeds.

* * *

Heidi was huffing and panting, this didn't make sense, she was a seasoned ninja who had been doing this for a year now, okay so maybe she did get distracted a couple of times thinking about what Howard might be doing on her show, but still this monster was way more vicious than the usual breed of monster, bigger too.

More McForcers started entering the area, Heidi rolled her eyes in annoyance. 'More people who aren't going to do anything', by letting her thoughts distract her she was blinded when the red monster punched her, sending her flying.

"OOF!" She grunted as she got back up, she huffed in anger. Her suit suddenly ignited, the suits colors of black and red switching. "You just earned yourself a big helping of ninja rage!"

She fired a giant fireball, which would have taken the beast out in a snap. That is, if it wasn't for some _thing_ crashing into the beast a million miles an hour from above, effectively knocking the monster out of the fireballs path.

"WHAT THE JUICE?!" Heidi screamed, as the thing which wasn't a thing at all and was a person, jumped backwards away from the downed monster. The Mcforcers huddling around him.

Heidi huffed her way towards the boy and the Mcforcers intent on giving the boy a piece of her mind. As she drew closer she could hear what he was telling, no, _ordering_ the Mcforcers to do.

"I want a perimeter set up. That shoob does not leave this block" The boy said. "Alpha team, check the buildings for any people still inside, evacuate them. Beta team, take care of traffic, make sure no one comes this way, redirect them and I don't give a honk if they're going to miss the whoopee on ice show. As for me I'll take on the big guy"

There was a resounding 'sir, yes sir!' that the group of Mcforcers gave off as they dispersed to handle their assigned duties (hehe duty). As Heidi drew closer she noticed now that the boy was wearing a black and dark blue jumpsuit with the Mcfist logo on the center of his chest, on his head he was wearing a blue helmet that covered his entire head with a black screen/visor covering his face.

"What the juice is your damage?!" Heidi said throwing her hand in the air in exasperation. "I could have taken that thing out, until you wonked it up!"

"Excuse m—"The boy stopped talking when he saw who was yelling at him "You-you're the ninja"

"I am aware of that"

"The ninja? **The ninja?!** " The boy said an edge of excitement in his voice, and excitement that eventually exploded. "YOU'RE THE NINJA! THIS IS THE HONKING CHEESE! Can I have your autograph? Not for me, for a friend, okay that was a lie it is totally for me. But you're the ninja!"

"Oh great, a fanboy" Heidi said holding her head in her palm. "Look I—"

She was cut off as the monster awakened and reared its ugly head once again. Without wasting a single moment the boy and the ninja got into a battle stance. The air was tense, until the boy started giggling.

Heidi just stared pointedly at the boy.

"I'm sorry" He said still unable to contain his glee. "It's just, my first mission and my first team up is with the honking ninja!"

The monster swung it giant arm downwards, luckily both the boy and the ninja were able to avoid it. Both readied themselves for a counter attack.

"Here I come!"

"I got this!"

Unfortunately when the ninja pulled out her ninja sword, the boy accidentally stepped on her scarf choking her and making her throw her ninja sword in the air.

"OMJ I am so sorry!" He said, but he had no time to focus on that as the monster came charging at him. He extended his hands cyan energy forming around them, he fired a blast of cyan energy at the beast, the blast however was interrupted when the ninjas sword came falling down right in front of him. The energy blast exploded far too closely to the boy and the ninja after coming in contact with the sword that blocked his shot, sending both flying.

"What the juice is your problem?!" Heidi screamed at the boy, both crashing and being in a tangled mess of limbs.

"Okay, first that was your sword that got in my way, so I think you're to blame, just saying" came the boys retort.

The monster came running again, the ninja and the boy looked at each other then nodded, silently agreeing that now wasn't the time to be arguing. They didn't have to work together but they didn't have to get in each other's way either.

"I'm going left" Said the ninja.

"Then I'm going up" replied the boy. The ninja cocked an eyebrow at this, but her confusion was soon answered when the boy began levitating, he could fly. Through the black visor she could see him wink at her, she rolled her eyes at him.

The ninja began a mad sprint, while the monster was big, it was also slow. And of course the boy had the beasts full attention, he circled the beast and blasted energy bolts at it, he threw cheesy one liners and puns, making sure the beast full focus was on him. While the boy did that Heidi searched the creature looking for the stanked item, she found it high on the beast's neck, a necklace. She dashed up the monsters tail up its spine towards its necklace. Unfortunately the monster seemed to know her intent and shook violently, sending Heidi falling. The boy blasted the monsters eyes, temporarily blinding it, he then flew as fast as he could, he pushed himself, he caught the ninja right before she splattered on the ground, but he was moving too fast to slow down gracefully and crashed, making sure to guard the ninja with his body.

As the duo got up shaking off their brutal crash landing. Heidi looked towards the boy who had saved her, and who was only looking at his hand for some reason?

"Thanks" She thanked the boy, but saw there was confusion in his body language.

"You're a girl….." Was the boys reply, still looking at his palm.

Heidi brow scrunched in confusion, till she realized why he was staring at his palm, when he saved her he must have _grabbed_ something that led him to believe the statement he was making now. Her face turned from confusion to disgust and anger, she covered her chest with her arms and kicked the boy.

"EW! Creep!" She yelled at him.

"I'm sorry!" Said the boy embarrassed and thanking Viceroy for making his helmet cover his entire face, allowing his blush to be hidden. "But I didn't know you were a girl, were you a girl this whole time? Like 800 years?"

"How could you not tell I was a girl?" She asked, annoyed. "Shouldn't my voice have given it away?"

"Well, this helmet kinda makes sounds kinda muffled" Randy replied. "That and I have only ever heard you screaming in my ear since we first met, soooo….."

The monster roared, ending the teenagers little spat. Heidi still had to find a way to get to that necklace, but she had to do it fast. She looked at the boy again, her mind formulating a plan.

"Hey" She said getting the boys attention. "You crashed into that thing earlier right? Does that mean you're strong too?"

"Not to toot my own horn" The boy said, totally tooting his own horn. "But yes, I have super strength, like I amaze myself sometimes"

"Ugh, I don't have time for your testosterone" Heidi said, cutting his ego off. "Can you throw me?"

"Wow, we've only known each other for 5 minutes, and you're already asking me to throw you. I think this relationship needs to slow down"

"…"

"And yes I can throw you" He promptly picked the ninja up, making sure to be careful of where he grabs this time.

"Throw me at that things neck, at the necklace" She said pulling out her ninja sword form her scarf.

"Okay" Randy said, aiming the ninja. He drew his hands back, getting ready to throw. "I should probably warn you, I have terrible aim"

"WHAT?!"

"AND AWAY YOU GO!"

Heidi shot like a jet through the air, she flew straight and true, thank goodness his aim wasn't as bad as he said. She readied her sword, but just as she was about to slice the chain of the beasts necklace, it moved just enough for her to sail past it, missing her chance.

But Heidi Weinerman wasn't the ninja for nothing! She threw her sword, the world moved in slow motion as the sword cut through the link in the beast's necklace. The monster roared as stank left its body.

Heidi shut her eyes, waiting for her to crash into something, but she never did. When she peeked through her eye lids, she saw that helmet, the boy had caught her again, this time without crashing.

"Looks like I've caught myself a ninja for a second time today" He said playfully.

"Just watch your hands" said back, a grin behind her mask.

"You're not gonna let that go are you?"

"Nope"

As they descended they saw a news team already waiting for them at the bottom.

The boy sighed. "Mcfist must have sent them here…"

When they reached the ground, they boy put the ninja down. They stood side by side as the cameras filmed them and the new lady pushed to get a word out of the heroes.

"Ninja who is your new sidekick?" The news anchor asked.

"Hey!" Randy said offended. "I'm no sidekick! I'm my own hero! Well….mostly my own hero"

"Mostly?" Both the anchor and the ninja questioned.

"Well, I work for…" He posed putting both his hands on his hips, pushing out his chest to show the big Mcfist logo. "Mcfist industries! The global industry that brings all sorts of fantastic wonders to the world! Including me"

Heidi just rolled her eyes, Mcfist had to go and make his own superhero. Well, she had no beef with the guy, his Mcforcers were annoying but it's not like he ever tried to attack her himself, his robots looked menacing but they never did anyone harm.

"So what do we call this new hero?" The anchor asked.

"Well, my official title is McSuperMegaDestructorLightning O'Fist" Said Randy pronouncing the entire thing without a sweat.

"But…" He continued. "A friend of mine said my job was to be a soldier, but not in a war, Like a soldier whose job is to guard one place, watch out for it, and that's Norrisville. So I prefer **Sentinel** "

As the anchor prodded Sentinel for more info about himself, Heidi turned her eyes elsewhere bored with the news fussing over him, she'd totally answer their questions, but there was a whole thing last year, where the nomicon had to teach her about fame or whatever. Her eyes went to the destanked student, except something was wrong. The stank left the female students body but now the stank was just circling her violently, and her body morphed and grew, like she was stuck transforming temporarily back into a monster then back to human, in a loop. Heidi had to help, she whistled loudly to get Sentinels attention, despite his helmet, his body language gave off confusion and fear.

"What's happening to her?" He asked.

"I don't know" The ninja answered. "I've never seen this happen before"

"Hold the cheese!" Said Mcfist as he came barging in, Viceory and Scott right behind him.

"I'm picking up huge amounts of energy building up in her" Viceroy said. "It's going to take out at least 3 blocks of the city"

"There is no way we can evacuate all those people before she goes off" Scott said.

"Then what do we do?" asked the ninja.

"I could fly her above the city and let her detonate there" Sentinel suggested.

"No" viceroy said. "She could go off, just by you touching her body"

"Boy" Viceroy said. "Use your energy absorption"

Sentinel was shocked at this, as he moved his body back. "But you said I wasn't ready to train that po—"

"I know what I said" Interrupted Viceroy. "But it's the only chance we have"

"And we have complete faith in you!" Added Mcfist. "But just in case, we'll be waiting in the Hovercraft"

The two retreated back to the hovercraft. "Scott, let's move it!" Ordered Mcfist.

"Sorry sir" answered Scott. "But I need to stay with the boy, with all due respect"

"Fine fine" Mcfist replied as he got aboard the Mchover craft.

"Scott, I don't know…" Sentinel said, the nervousness creeping into his voice.

"You can do this kid. I know you can" Assured Scott.

Randy smiled beneath his helmet.

"Show time?" Scott said.

"Show time" Randy said, with new strength in his heart.

He took a deep breath, and walked towards the girl. The stank acted violently when he walked near it, it was like a form of energy trying to push him away, but he pushed forward with all his might. He stuck out his hand, he used his other hand to cover his head as the force of the stank was cracking his helmet's screen.

"H-help me…please" The girl wailed, in a broken desperate voice.

"I-I will!" Randy said as he got closer, his fingers tip made contact with her shoulder.

Suddenly the entire area was basked in green light, the ninja had feared that he failed and set her off. But when the light dimmed she saw Sentinel standing there holding a ball of green pulsating energy, even though he wasn't physically touching the energy, his stance was rigged his body tensed and stressed, he stood there with the large ball of energy between his hands above his head, as if he were holding an extremely heavy green mini-sun between his hands. Through his screams of exertion, she saw, it was getting smaller!

She could see the ball of energy being syphoned into the boys hands, but his suit has starting to burn up, allowing her to see his skin, it was turning red, and not pinkish red, but actually red, as if a red light were shinning underneath. He yelled out even more now.

Scott, placed a hand on the ninjas shoulder. Heidi looked up at him to see a face full of worry.

"Something's wrong" He said, his voice shaky. Suddenly the communication device in his ear came online, with Viceroy on the other side. Scott nodded gravely after hearing what Viceroy had to say.

"The energy" Scott said. "It's burning him up from the inside"

The ninjas eyes widened in surprise, she just met the guy and he was already going to die. "Is there anything we can do?"

Scott nodded and raised his gun and aimed it at Randy's head. Heidi acted on instinct and kicked Scott's gun making him misfire.

"WTJ ARE YOU DOING!" She braked at him.

"Viceroy says that his body won't be able to contain that much energy" He replied, shaking his head. "His mind will be in too much pain and he'll release it all again, so the detonation will happen, unless I kill him and let the energy burn up in his body"

"B-But you can't—"

"I don't want to do this either!" Scott yelled in desperation. "But, those are my orders"

"What if he doesn't release the energy?" Heidi asked. "Like what if he doesn't let it out and he fights through the pain?"

"I-well I guess the energy would burn up and I wouldn't have to shoot him" Scott said, unsure. His mind a mess right now. "But I'm not sure if he can—"

"You said you believed in him" Heidi told him. "Was that the truth?"

Scott looked away in pain. He got another call from Viceroy. He paused before answering. "That is a negative sir, I have not shot him yet…I'm going to give him more time" He turned the device off before he heard any angry yelling from Mcfist.

Heidi nodded at Scott and he nodded right back. Then they waited and watched.

The ball of energy was now roughly the size of a basketball. The torso of Sentinels suit had all but burned away now, showing his skin burning and glowing. His Helmet had broken and fallen off, but Heidi still couldn't see the boy's face as his back was turned to them, his hair had also burned up apparently, so she had no idea what his hair color was.

After what felt like hours but was actually a few minutes the boys pressed his hands together, having absorbed all of the energy. He crumpled to the ground. Scott and the ninja waited to see if he could handle the energy and if he would release it. The boy jolted and the ninja and Scott braced for an explosion, but instead Sentinel held up a shaky hand and gave them a thumbs up. The ninja and Scott breathed a sigh of relief the rushed over to sentinels side.

Heidi's brows deepened in worry as she saw that his body was now covered in burn scars and all his hair had been burned off, he also seemed to be in pain. She looked at Scott who also gave her a sad look, they both walked closer to console the boy, but they both backed away when they saw something happening to Sentinels body.

His skin began changing and healing. The burns began to turn into little more than faded red spots, Heidi wanted to see his face without the burns, but Scott intervened and covered the boys head with a spare shirt he had. Randy folded the shirt around his head, so it resembled that pretend ninja mask kids would do.

Randy stood and stared at the sky breathing heavily as the McForcers came to escort the girl, who was almost a bomb, away to an ambulance. The news team returned to get all this.

All the while Heidi stared at this boy, who was either an extremely powerful hero or a dangerous weapon that _could_ destroy everything, if he turned evil. And Heidi wasn't sure she could stop him if he did.

* * *

Back at Mcfist Industries.

"He survived sir" Viceroy reported. "And he seems to have unlocked a new power, regeneration sir"

"Holy Cheese Viceroy!" MCfist said. "Those Cunninghams really went all out, didn't they?"

"As much as it hurts my pride to say this, those Cunninghams truly were marvels of the scientific world" Viceroy said, with a bit of envy and a bit of admiration for the married scientists.

Mcfists face darkened, as his expression turned serious. "Let's just hope the boy never finds out what really happened to them"

Viceroy too thought of what Randy could do to them if he ever found out the truth.

"Welp, no use in thinking about it now" Mcfist said, completely changing the mood. "Viceroy start trying to find a way to copy the boy's powers and give them to me!"

"Sir it's not that simple" Viceroy said, annoyed at the fact that once again his boss was asking far too much of him. "I need to run tests and—"

"Viceroy" Mcfist said, grabbing the scientist by his shoulders. "Do you remember what I told that weird green guy when he offered me superpowers in return for me destroying the ninja all those years ago?"

"You said…" Viceroy scrunched up his face doing his best possible impression of Mcfist. "'I have a million billion dollars, I don't need you to get me super powers! I can do it myself!' then you proceeded to order me to find a way to do that"

"So get to it!"

* * *

Meanwhile in some dark dank unground area, there lied equipment making the place almost resemble a laboratory, an extremely dirty laboratory located underground, but still.

There stood a person in all black hunched over a table fiddling with tools and beakers, his face covered by a black mask, no eye holes or mouth slits, just a black mask that had no features on it, he also wore a black turtleneck and blacks pants with black leather boots, and over it all he wore a black lab coat. But on his chest was a mechanical box that sort of looked like a radio.

On the table was a petri dish, on the dish was a chunk of red flesh, red flesh that came from the very monster that had attacked the city. The black clad figure dropped a mixture of chemicals on it, and he stared intently.

The flesh began to wriggle and squirm, then the figure cut a deep slit into it. Suddenly the flesh began to heal itself, the man shook in anticipation, but then the healing reversed and the entire piece of flesh turned black and rotten, green smoke expelling out of it and escaping into the vents near him. The man stared at the rotten flesh for a solid 30 seconds then, angrily shoved everything off the table and flipped it. He was shaking with rage, before he could start destroying anything else in his lab, something playing on the small TV he kept in there caught his eye.

It was of the news, the monster from which he had taken the flesh from had been stopped, this surprised him but what surprised him even more was the footage of a boy hunched over and covered in burn scars, the black clad figure shook and shivered when he saw the boys burned skin begin to heal, he slowly reached out and touch the screen as if the boy were right there in front of him, he pulled out a chair and replayed the image of the boy regenerating over and over. He had found what he was looking for.

* * *

 **Heyooooo my peeps, I apologize for not been around lately haha, work has been killer(Also been too busy lately to do any of my hobbies haha)**

 **But I finally have some time to make this haha, I've been cooking this up for a while now.**

 **Tho don't be surprised if I end up abandoning this like the debt au hahahahaha…im sorry, I just wanted to put this out there and see if this was an interesting enough concept and if other people wanted to see more of it.**

 **Okay, u may have noticed I made Heidi younger for this, I wanted her to be experienced enough that she knows her stuff and has roughly the same amount of powers as randy did in the canonverse, but I also didn't want her to be too experienced so that it would still be believable that she messed up a lot, but also I still wanted her to be older than randy so I compromised and made her a sophomore hehe.**

 **Now I should warn u now tho, the sorcerre won't be the main big bad**

 **Also I doubt my world building is good enough to provide all of the changes this au has made, soooo u r allowed to ask questions and I'll answer them in the next chapter…if I ever continue this. Unless they're plot relevant then u know im gonna be koi about them :3**

 **Anyway tell me what u think in the revieeewws!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Okay! Another chapter! Haha, I'm really trying to be light and breezy with this fic, is the excuse im using to tell u guys updates won't be** ** _that_** **frequent.**

 **Anyway I'm still trying to find what I want for this story whoooo**

 **Endeavor4ever asked:** ** _are randy and howard still gonna be friends?_**

 **:Of course! Their relationship is so amazing that it can transcend every universe and will bleed through to the strangest of au's!**

 **Also thanks for all the kind reviews!**

* * *

Heidi Weinerman was currently spending her lunch break in her studio, flipping through gossip reports she had gotten that day, looking for something that wasn't boring, unfortunately they were all boring. She expected shouts of outrage from her loyal fans about Howard subbing for her the day before. But apparently, his _charm_ won most of them over.

As much as it annoyed her that her fans wouldn't mind her being replaced by another, she had to admit letting Howard cover for her would help her with her ninja business.

She continued going through her files, and the most interesting piece of gossip was Bucky 'professional brownnoser and teachers pet' Hensletter skipping school, Heidi placed her hands in her head, ugh no way is that interesting enough to warrant anybody's attention. On the bright side, not destanking him as usual was something she was glad for.

She sighed and picked up her stuff. Maybe she'd find something interesting for her gossip report while she walked around school. She walked out the door just as something fast came crashing into her. She was sprawled on the ground with the thing that crashed into her, which was actually a boy. A strange boy, he looked 14, about slim build, but the strangest thing was his hair, it was purple, and oddly familiar.

"Told ya…*pant*…to slow down" Heidi looked down the hallway to see Howard just reaching her and the mystery boy. "Oh, hey Heidi"

"This is yours I presume?" Heidi said gesturing to the boy who was getting up, he offered to give Heidi a hand, but Heidi waved him off and got up herself.

Howard snickered, as if remembering a joke no one else knew. Heidi raised an eyebrow as he nudged the other boy.

"Introduce yourself" Howard told the boy who rolled his eyes.

"Randy" The boy with the purple hair said. "Randy Cunningham"

Heidi's eye widened to the shape of dinner plates. "Cunningham? Like 'parents used to set up playdates all the time' Cunningham? Like 'was over at our house almost every day for 8 years' Cunningham? And 'entire family mysteriously disappears overnight' Cunningham?"

"Yes, yes and yes" Replied Randy. "Thanks for reminding me by the way"

"What happened to you? You were just gone one day?" Heidi asked.

"Oh well…" Randy said looking downcast, and suddenly Heidi regretted asking. "My parents passed away"

"Woah dude seriously?" Howard said, with sympathy in his eyes.

"Sorry to hear that" Heidi said, hesitatingly putting a hand on his shoulder. Randy smiled at them, a kind of smile that read as 'thanks, but can we stop talking about this now?'

Heidi suddenly got an idea, interviewing a new student might not be the best report, but it was better than the Bucky thing. She pulled out her phone and turned the camera on.

"Anyway" Heidi said changing the subject, gaining a quiet sigh from Randy. "I'd like to interview you on what you think about seeing norrisville again after so long, is that alright?"

"Sure" Randy replied, smiling nervously at the camera. "It's nice to be back, the place looks really different, but that's probably because the monster attacks keep causing so much damage and McFist has to build new ones haha"

"How are the students of good'ol NHS treating you?" Heidi continued.

"Surprisingly" Randy replied. "Like a stranger, no one really remembers me"

"Yeah" Howard cut in, making sure the camera got his good side. "We've spent most of the morning trying to see if anyone remembers him"

"Like 1 or 2 students vaguely remember me" Randy said. "What were their names?"

"Theresa fowler and Rachel" Howard answered.

"Yeah, but they all remember my parents haha" Randy said, remembering his parents had sort of a reputation for their house nearly blowing up every other week. "But I don't really mind, I didn't recognize most of em either"

"Except this guy!" Howard said pointing both thumbs at himself.

"To be fair, I might have accidentally thought your name was Harold" Randy replied.

Howard looked at him with an annoyed look.

"I'm kidding haha" Randy said, leaving out the fact that he did genuinely think Howards name was Haorld.

"Anything else you find different?" Heidi asked. She decided to ask him about her, well not her, the other _her_. "Like what do you think of the ninja?"

"The ninja's bossier than I remember" Randy said, speaking before thinking about his answer again.

Naturally, Heidi took offense at that. "And how exactly is she bossier?!"

"Well, I uh, mean when the ninja was helping that Sentinel guy—"

"The sentinel was helping the ninja, who already had the situation under control" Heidi interrupted. "And the Sentinel was doing a pretty wonky job of helping too"

Randy's irritation grew at the sound of that. "No, it looked like Sentinel was doing all the heavy lifting to me"

"Puh-lease, the ninja changed the kid back to human!"

"Only because the ninja doesn't share how she cures monsters and turns them back to normal! Besides the Sentinel stopped the monster from blowing up!"

"Maybe the ninja doesn't trust this super powered weirdo who just came out of nowhere, so forgive her if she's a little paranoid about sharing her ninja secrets! And about the blowing up thing; the ninja would have figured something out, like she's been doing for a yea-I mean 800 years!"

"Would she?!"

"Yes!" Heidi huffed, she turned to her camera. "This interview is over, that was hizzle-dizzle interviewing _Landy_ Cunningham"

"It's Ran—" Heidi shut the camera off before Randy could correct her.

Randy huffed and left, stomping the ground.

Heidi stared daggers at Randy's retreating figure, then looked at Howard who was giving her the stink eye.

"What?" She asked irritated.

"On his first day back" Howard answered, looking disappointed in Heidi.

"He started it!" Heidi said. "Whatever!"

She shook her head in annoyance as she left. Howard rolled his eyes as he ran after Randy.

* * *

Howard run up too Randy's side, while Randy muttered under his breathe.

"Hey dude" Howard greeted. "Something on your mind?"

"Your sister's a lot jerkier than I remember" Randy huffed.

"Ha yeah" Howard said, agreeing with Randy. "But I think she was just telling the truth, the ninja could have probably handled it"

"I mean, I know the ninja could've" Randy said, looking irritated. "It's just, that Sentinel guy really looked like he wanted to help you know? That counts for something right?"

"Well, can you really blame Heidi or anyone for not trusting the guy?" Howard asked.

"What do you mean?" Randy asked back, feeling confused.

"Here comes this guy who has the power of a monster truck, flying and energy blasts and we're just supposed to believe he's just here to help? Just like that?"

"The ninja's got a lot of powers too! I don't see anyone asking if she's here to help or not"

"The ninjas been around for 800 years dude. They trust her because she's proved she was here for the peeps of norrisville again and again. This Sentinel guy'll have to pay his dues, he's got to prove he's a hero"

Randy looked down and mulled over what Howard had told him. He hated to admit it, but Heidi was somewhat justified he supposed in believing the Sentinel wasn't exactly needed or trusted.

"Dang dude" Randy said. "When'd you get so wise?"

Howard shrugged. "It's a gift"

Suddenly Randy heard screaming, he turned to see students fleeing. He knew instantly this was something he had to check out, he turned to Howard as Howard tugged his sleeve.

"A monster attack on your first day, lucky you" Howard remarked. Howard then dug into his bag pack and pulled out a bag of chips.

"Want to go see the ninja kick it's bu-Cuningham?" Howard asked as he noticed his childhood friend had disappeared, he scratched his head in confusion.

* * *

A few minutes prior to the screams of terror in the school, something sinister was the very cause for the monster attack.

"Pl-please let me go" cried the frightened triangle player for the norissville high marching band. He was currently locked up in a cage in a dark, wet laboratory looking area. Hunched over a table working on some chemicals was a man in a black lab coat, his face obscured by a featureless black mask.

He doesn't know how it happened, just one second he was behind the school practicing his triangle solos, when someone placed a cloth over his mouth, he inhaled whatever chemical was on said cloth and next thing he knew he was waking up in this ominous looking lab, caged like some animal.

"I can't yet" replied the figure, his voice wasn't that of a human, it was metallic and monotone, it was coming from a radio looking type device on attached to his chest. "I need you"

"F-For what?" The triangle player asked, near the brink of tears.

"Bucky, wasn't it?" The black clad person asked, to which Bucky nodded shakily. "I need your help, you see I have been trying to finish something two very smart people started, but I couldn't…"

Bucky let out a sob. The figure continued to play with his chemicals.

"But then, I saw _him_ " The figure continued, the man picked up a knife, which frightened Bucky. "That kid, on the news, the one who stopped an explosion, Sentinel. You know about him right?"

Bucky nodded, he was close to soiling himself as he saw the figure was already done mixing the chemicals into a blue concoction, and he held in his right hand the blue formula, on the other a knife. He sauntered over to Bucky, who was full on crying now.

"I realized, I didn't need to finish what those two started, someone already finished it" The person said, as he brought up the knife. But instead of cutting Bucky like Bucky feared, the figure rolled up his sleeve, showing off an arm covered in scars. He then proceeded to cut himself, allowing his blood to fall into the blue formula, turning it blood red. "That boy is the key, the key to the secrets of regeneration"

"W-what do you need me for" Bucky asked aloud before he could stop himself, still afraid, but still desperate to know what he was here for.

"Originally I needed you and _your_ kind to try and figure out how to replicate you and your classmates ability to morph into giant creatures, I wanted to know how you students were able to make your cells replicate and change like that" The figure said, from his stance and the fact his arms were crossed, it was obvious he was annoyed. "But that was useless, I tried for _ **years**_ to find out how, but there is no science involved, it makes no sense, it's like magic or something"

Despite the monotone robot voice, the man was clearly pissed at how the students being able to transform eluded him. But if he failed to get the answer, why was Bucky here? Was the triangle player's question.

"If you're wondering, why you are here, it is because I have a new use for you" The figure said ominously. "Hold still"

Bucky backed away, as the man was trying to inject a syringe filled with the red formula into Bucky.

"Just let me inject you, it'll be over soon and then I'll let you out of your cage" The figure said, seizing Bucky's leg, and injecting him, Bucky bit back a wail, he felt a burning sensation from his leg that travelled to his heart, then suddenly it stopped.

"Now that wasn't so bad" The figure said.

"Y-you'll let me leave now right?" Bucky asked, hopeful that it was over.

"Oh no, you misunderstood. All I said was that I would let you out of your cage" the figure said, pressing a button on a remote he pulled out of his labcoat. The button caused the vents in the room to open, allowing stank that had been trying to get in an hour ago to infect its target. "I never said you'd still be yourself when you would"

Bucky screamed in terror as the stank flew up his nose and changed his body, as it had in the past. But something was different this time, the red formula in his blood changed the stank. Bucky grew twice his usual monster size, bony and sharp spines grew out of his elbows, knees and spine. After his transformation, he roared and then went docile, unmoving.

The figure handed Bucky a small black box the size of a box of mints with a lens that Bucky attached to his head, a red light turned on, signalling it was recording.

"Get some of the Sentinels blood, you may incapacitate or harm him, but do not fatally wound or kill him" He said handing Bucky a petri dish.

Bucky then replied with a series of grunts, which the figure seemed to understand.

"The ninja?" The figure said. "I do not care, destroy the ninja if you have to"

Bucky gave off more grunts and growls, to which the black clad figure replied too.

"No" He seemingly answered. "You will not fail as the other one did yesterday, you are…different"

Bucky nodded and ran out through the exit. The figure walked over to a chair that was in front of multiple TV screens, the center one showing the feed from Bucky's camera, the other showing the feed from the schools security cameras. The figure stared intently at them.

"Show time…"

* * *

Heidi was just about to put away her books, when screams of terror filled the hallway.

She turned quick as lightning to see which direction the students were running from, marking the direction she would run towards.

"Looks like it's that time of day already" Heidi said aloud grabbing her mask from her bag. She jumped into her own locker, slammed it shut, then flashily emerged as the ninja of norrissville.

She sprinted along the hall way until she reached Bucky? But not quite the stanked Bucky she was used too. This one was bigger, his eyes more violent and not to mention the savage looking spines protruding from his body. Bucky now reminded her of the stanked beast she and Sentinel took care of, what was happening to them? And why now?

She had no time to dwell on these questions as Bucky came charging at her, naturally she dodged, but Bucky, to her dismay was way faster than before. Bucky slammed her with his arm sending Heidi crashing into the lockers.

Her body was in agony, she had to get up because Bucky loomed over her with the spines on his elbows raised and ready to be brought down on her. She tried to force herself to move but she knew she couldn't dodge in time, she stared in horror as Bucky's arms came down, but they never quite reached her, as a boy with purple hair tackled Bucky, sending the beast staggering sideways.

"Randy?" She asked in disbelief.

"Let me help you up, ninja" Randy said as he helped the ninja to her feet. "Wait, how'd you know my name?"

"I-uh, I know everybody's name! Yeah that's it" Heidi said, covering up her little slip up. "Thanks for the help kid, but you better get out of here"

"I…Yeah" Randy replied, as he backed away just as Bucky got ready to continue his attack.

The ninja nodded at Randy as Randy ran out of sight. 'Maybe he's not so bad after all' Heidi thought. She readied herself as she charged the stanked triangle player.

Randy slid into the empty boy's bathroom, his heels screeching as he came to a halt. He opened the last stall on the left and threw in his hoodie, he then proceeded to remove his shirt, revealing his Sentinel costume and symbol underneath.

the ninja dodged and parried, blocked and countered. But Bucky was giving her a run for her money, Bucky's moves were swifter and more agile compared to his past movements, which were barbaric and crude. This Bucky's battle prowess rivalled even that of the ninja's. She gripped her sword tighter as she put more power into her legs, she shot of the ground in a powerful high jump, she brought her sword sailing down, to which Bucky blocked, but that was part of the ninja's plan. With both of Bucky's arms preoccupied with blocking her blade, the ninja threw down a ninja boom ball. It exploded in Bucky's face creating a cloud of black smoke. The ninja jumped back and waited.

Bucky came charging through the smoke, the boom ball gave him some nasty bruising and burns, but not quite enough to put him down. The ninja got ready to dodge when a powerful fist suddenly connected with Bucky's face. Bucky was sent flying towards the lockers, crashing through it and through a couple of rooms.

"Sorry for being late" Sentinel announced as he hovered next to Heidi.

"You can't be late to something you weren't invited too" Heidi said, a smirk underneath her mask.

"Oh, solid burn" Sentinel replied. "So how do we take this thing down?"

"I don't know"

"Alright so w-Wait you don't know?"

"Yeah, Bucky's turned into a monster before. But this, whatever happened to that girl that almost blew up, is happening to Bucky, it's making them stronger somehow. I've never seen anything like it"

"Any reason why this is happening?" Sentinel questioned.

The ninja looked at Sentinel, her eyes squinting at him with suspicion. "I have a theory"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sentinel asked, clearly picking up on her idea. He was reminded of what the Weinerman's had told him, that they don't trust him.

"I'm just saying" The ninja said, facing towards Bucky who was getting up. "These things, these super stanked students didn't start appearing until you did"

Sentinel gripped his fist in anger and bit his retort. He turned towards Bucky as the former triangle player roared in anger and charged them. The ninja and Sentinel both tried to attack Bucky with their fists, however Bucky saw those punches miles away. He caught each hero's fist in his own, Bucky smirked which caused the hero's to grimace. Bucky lifted both of his opponents with ease and slammed both their heads together, severely disorienting the ninja and Sentinel. Bucky threw the ninja away like a ragdoll and used his other arm to hold Sentinels other fist, restraining Sentinel's movements.

Sentinel tried desperately to activate his energy blasts but despite him feeling the energy coursing through his fists, he saw they were doing no damage to Bucky's hands. The Sentinel noticed a small black mechanical box on Bucky's head open and a small needle came out. Sentinel struggled as the needle reached his helmet and began drilling, breaking through the black screen that covered his face, the needle stabbed him on the forehead just enough to draw blood, then suck that blood up.

At this point Sentinel was having enough of everything happening today, his eyes glowed cyan blue in rage as he blaster a powerful beam of energy through his helmet, blasting Bucky square in the face. Sentinel would not let up he continued to unleash a devastatingly powerful column of energy from his face, he poured all the rage he felt into it, every ounce of emotion he had. Bucky wailed in pain and terror as he was bombarded with the cyan energy. Sentinel stopped when the ninja sucker punched him.

The ninja grabbed him by the shirt and lifted him up.

"What the juice are you doing?!" The ninja yelled at him. "You could have killed Bucky!"

Sentinels face changed from rage to confusion then realization. "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—"

"Calm your shoobing self-down or so help me" Heidi threatened, she was horrified at what the Sentinel almost did. She stopped her rant when she heard a grunt from Bucky. She placed Sentinel down slowly as she turned and looked on in surprise at the triangle player turned beast. Sentinel turned and stared in confusion as well.

Bucky still in his monstrous form stood there, but his body was covered in a bubble made of red energy that seemed to have protected him. Bucky as well seemed to be surprised at his new ability as he looked on in confusion at his glowing hands. The force field around him deactivated as he felt the camera on his head move slightly.

Suddenly the camera on his head began to beep. A holographic wireframe was projected from it began to form a person. The hologram was the close up of a man in all black including a black mask and lab coat.

Sentinel took a step backwards as Heidi tightened her fist. Despite the featureless mask, Sentinel was sure the figure was staring at him, to which Heidi was fully aware of. Heidi felt her suspicion grow

The air was tense, as both the sentinel and the ninja stood there with rigged stances.

Suddenly the hologram disappeared, leaving everyone confused. Bucky was the first to break out of his confusion as little force field balls appeared and hovered around him. Bucky's face changed to one of pure smugness, as he realized his new ability would give him an edge. He roared as the heroes got back into their battle stances.

Then Bucky charged.

* * *

 **Also, totes gonna fix the grammar mistakes, just gimme some times bros haha**

 **leave your reviews :)**


	3. Chapter 3

**Net chapter :D**

 **Guest asked:** _ **Do they used to know Randy eh? Seems like there's a bit more to that than your telling**_

 **Yes they do, or did, but what has changed about Randy I wonder? Is this the same Randy they knew as a kid? Guess we'll find out!**

* * *

A force field bubble slammed into The ninja, even with her forearms crossed to block the bubble it still had the force of a dump truck hitting her, she would know, she's been hit by one in the past. Sentinel wasn't fairing any better, he attempted to shoot them down, but Bucky would create more if one shattered, and if you tried to switch targets to the force field caster himself, he'd use a force field himself. Both heroes were getting frustrated.

Sentinel and the ninja looked at each other, one with an irritated look, and the other despite the black screen covering his face, shot one right back. It was obvious, they had to work together again. The ninja really didn't want to work with a guy who nearly incinerated Bucky. But, victory lied in defeating the greater danger first, a lesson she had to learn the hard way a year ago.

The ninja took out a smoke bomb and threw it on the ground, hiding herself and the Sentinel. Bucky looked from side to side, expecting a surprise attack. He did not expect a surprise attack coming from the front by Sentinel, who just came charging through head on, fist ready.

Naturally Bucky erected a force field bubble around himself, what he hadn't noticed was that someone had snuck up behind him and was inside the bubble with him. Bucky spun his head when he realized someone had tapped him on the shoulder from behind.

The ninja winked and delivered a devastating uppercut, breaking Bucky's concentration, his force field fell as he was sent flying upwards, while Sentinel was already waiting at the hallways roof, he sent Bucky crashing right back down with both fist bundled together in a sledge hammer attack. Bucky crashed into the floor creating a dust cloud. The ninja and Sentinel barely had a minute to follow up on their onslaught as Bucky's hulking fist came swinging once again knocking the ninja a couple of lockers away. Sentinel attempted a counter attack in the form of an energy bolt, but Bucky created a force field right in front of Sentinel causing his energy bolt to detonate right in front of him. Sentinel too was sent flying towards the lockers, he fell on top of Heidi with both giving off an "oof!" of discomfort.

Both heroes got up ready for another scuffle, but Bucky had clearly taken more damage than either of his two opponents, and by the looks of his hurried breathing, his stamina was waning as well. He still had to return the blood to his master, so he could not afford to be captured or cured here. He held out his hands preparing to fire a force field bubble, the sentinel and ninja prepared, but Bucky was aiming for them he switched aims towards a classrooms roof. He fired a large bubble that hit the walls and roof like a truck crashing through concrete. In doing so he made that part of the building unstable, the classroom and the one above it erupted in panic at debris pinned down multiple students and others were close to falling through the hole from the floor above caused by Bucky's force field bubble. Bucky then made a run for it.

"We have to help the students!" The ninja said as she began rushing towards her school mates who were currently in danger.

"Yeah!" Sentinel replied. "But, what about Bucky?"

The ninja had to make a split second choice here, she sighed as the only reasonable plan came into her head.

"I'll save the students you find Bucky, you're faster because you can fly" The ninja said, entrusting someone she didn't fully trust with an important job. "Now listen carefully, you have to destank him, bro"

'Destank' Randy figured was what the ninja called turning a student from a monster back into a human, which meant 'stank/stanked' was what she called students who were still monsters.

"You have to destroy his dinger…"

"That sounds kinda weird so, I'm not sure I want to do that…."

"His triangle dinger you shoob. It should be covered in green smoke-y stuff, like what you saw in that girl who almost blew up yesterday"

Sentinel nodded, he exhaled sharply as he rose and shot out towards Bucky's direction without a moment's hesitation.

Heidi turned and began helping the students who were still in peril, and she hoped she made the right choice trusting that boy.

* * *

Sentinel zoomed past hallway after hallway, turning corners as quickly as he could, until finally Bucky was in his sight.

He roared in excitement at getting closer to his "prey", said prey only yelped in fear as he began running ever faster.

Randy put both his hands behind him and fired a huge burst of his cyan energy, acting as a sort of nitro boost. Bucky created a bubble around himself, but he and his bubble were unable to stand their ground as Sentinel crashed into him with the added momentum of that little speed boost he did. Randy pushed Bucky with his insane speed until they crashed into a wall, but the force field hadn't shattered, yet.

Randy regained his wits as he began throwing punch after punch at the force field bubble, cracks increasing in number and size with every hit. After about 5 or so punches he broke through, where Bucky was cowering in the far corner of his bubble. There Sentinel saw it, the stanked dinger! He tried to reach for it, but of course Bucky attempted to fend him off by slapping Sentinel's wrist. Sentinel realized that he could just shoot the thing instead of having to physically grab it and break it in two.

"Enough" Sentinel could barely recognize a robotic voice say as he was slammed to the opposite side of the hallway by an invisible force that felt like a sledgehammer to the guts. He coughed and sputtered on the ground as he looked up to see the black lab coat guy from the hologram that appeared, except he wasn't a hologram he was here.

The black lab coat guy retrieved the small black machine from Bucky's head and stored it in his lab coat. He then stabbed Bucky with a syringe filled with yellow liquid.

"That should do" The black clad figure said after tucking the syringe back in his lab coat. "We don't want him to blow up like the last one do we?"

"That was you?!" Sentinel accused.

"Wow did you put that together yourself Sherlock?" The black clad figure mocked.

"Yeah yeah, darth vader" Sentinel shot back as he got up.

Suddenly Bucky started convulsing, Sentinel looked on in worry as he saw Bucky was growing smaller, his spines retracted into his body and he turned into a smaller purple monster. Still quite big, but not as big as before, Sentinel remembered this was Bucky's usual stank form from the research he did about the school and it's students before enrolling.

Bucky roared and attempted to attack the guy in the black lab coat, but he just waved his hand and as what happened with Sentinel an invisible force hit Bucky sending him flying, Bucky got up shakily and whimpered as he ran away again.

" _Telekeniceness.."_ Sentinel said aloud, amazed that someone other than him had superpowers, well someone who wasn't either a monster or an 800 year old being.

"It's called telekinesis" The black lab coat said in a deadpan that could be felt despite his robot monotone voice. Sentinel blushed underneath his helmet.

The black clad figure stared in the direction Bucky ran off in.

"That should keep the ninja busy while we…chat" the figure explained.

The two figures stared each other down, in an odd moment of synchronization they spoke at the same time.

"Who are you?" They both asked at the same time. Both looked at each other with a face of exasperation and annoyance.

"I'll ask again" The figure said. "Who are you and where did you get your powers?"

"I could ask you the same thing" Sentinel demanded back.

The black lab coat, rubbed his temples in frustration. But he did have a hunch to where this Sentinel person got his powers, but he _needed_ to be sure.

"Do you have any relationship to…." The black clad figure trailed off hesitantly. "To, the Cunninghams?"

Sentinels eyes widened in surprise and disbelief as his hand blazed with cyan energy. "What do you know about my parents!?"

"Your parents?!" The figure exclaimed, aghast and angry.

Sentinel covered his mouth area with both his hands, cursing himself inwardly for his slip up.

The black clad figure's body language changed from confusion _and_ anger to just anger. "I've had enough of this"

"Couldn't agree more!" Sentinel exclaimed as he jumped towards the guy, his fist reared back.

Suddenly he felt a hug force pushing everything away from the black clad figure, it was like trying to swim upstream or he was trying to battle gravity itself. He pushed forward with all his might as the black clad figure just stood there in a rigid stance.

"Repulsion" the figure said, answering Sentinels unasked question. "It's a sub power of telekinesis. Useful from stopping that annoying strength of yours from actually landing a hit"

Sentinel fingertips nearly reached his opponent, but alas it was not meant to be, as he buckled and was sent flying backwards. But Sentinel wouldn't lose that easily.

"But can your wonking repulsion repel this!" Sentinel exclaimed as he fired an energy bolt which did in fact break through and make contact with its target.

"No" The figure said as the energy's explosion cleared, revealing the red force field that Bucky had used was now around him. "That's what the force field is for"

Suddenly the figure saw that Sentinel was nowhere in sight, he snapped his head upwards to see Sentinel there above him ready to release a large and charged ball of energy. The figure's body shook in surprise when he realized he couldn't block or dodge this.

Sentinel fired, but was stopped short. The energy fizzled out as Sentinel fell out of his flight in extreme pain. Not physical pain, he clutched his head in agony as he began writhing on the floor.

"That was close!" The black clad figure exclaimed, sighing in relief as he had two fingers on his temple. "I'm glad I got myself telepathy just in case"

Sentinel stared up with defiant eyes, as the black clad figure met his gaze with just as much defiance.

The figure shot out his hand and commanded Sentinel's body to move to a kneeling position, Sentinel struggled to no avail, too weak to break free of his assailant's telekinesis. The figure walked up to Sentinel and placed both his hands on both sides of Sentinels head.

"Parents…" The person in a black lab coat mumbled under his breath. "Let's see if you're telling the truth"

Sentinel screamed out in pain as he saw his own memories flash before his eyes. Sentinel's body shook in agony as his eyes rolled to the back of his head, finally letting darkness take him.

It wasn't even 30 seconds before the black clad figure recoiled after seeing Sentinel's memories. He shook his head in frantic disbelief, then he reached out towards the now unconscious Sentinel and pressed a button at the side of Sentinels helmet. The helmet retracted and folded in on itself until it was only the size of two earpieces on Sentinels ears, giving the figure a full view of Randy's face. The figure swallowed hard, he put a hand on his head and ran it through the surface of his head in shock. He reached out to touch Randy's face, he recoiled for a second when he got close, but then finally allowed himself to touch the Randy's face, he ran his fingers through Randy's skin, as if scared he would disappear on the spot. The figure let go and clenched his fist until his knuckles turned white, he then pressed the button on Randy's helmet, hiding Randy's face once again.

The figure turned abruptly, he stood in front of a locker with the number 216. He turned his head to sneak one last glance at Randy's unconscious and kneeling figure one last time. He pressed the numbers on the locker in a specific order. The locker than began making whirling and clanking noises as it sunk into the wall then to the side, revealing a hidden passage. The figure stepped in as the locker took its place hiding the passage once again.

Randy flinched as he regained consciousness. He looked around worriedly, seeing no sign of his opponent he allowed himself to fully crumple down, leaning against the lockers to regain his bearings.

He suddenly remembered he had to stop Bucky, he staggered up, legs still shaky. Out of the corner came the ninja, she skidded across the floor as she stopped to look at Randy, looking none too pleased with him.

"Ohhh, hey there!" Sentinel said, trying to balance himself. "I was, just about to go take care of Bucky…"

The ninja opened up her palm dropping to severed pieces of a dinger. She placed both her hands on her hips in a peeved manner.

"So you took care of it, dang! And I was so looking forward to seeing how destanking worked" Sentinel said, laughing nervously.

"I gave you one job man" The ninja said, walking up to Sentinel.

"Hey! It wasn't my fault, the weird lab coat guy from the hologram appeared and we fought, Oh! And he was the one who gave Bucky those super powers! And he kicked the cheese out of me, and that's why I couldn't stop Bucky" Sentinel defended, deciding to leave out the parts about the guy knowing something about Sentinel's parents.

"If this lab coat guy really did attack you, why'd he let you live?" the ninja asked, her eyes narrowing.

"The juice if I know" Sentinel said, not liking the ninja's tone.

"Also, his hologram thingy starred at you for some time earlier" Heidi accused.

"What are you getting at?" Sentinel asked, his body **and** mind still hurt from being treated like a punching bag, and now the ninja was getting up in his face.

"You, some guy with crazy super powers appear, suddenly stanked students start getting powers too and now another super powered shoob appears" laying out her suspicions. "I'm starting to think—"

"What? That me and crazy lab coat man are in cahoots!?" Sentinel asked, raising his voice. "That's not fair!"

In a flash the ninja had her weapons drawn and was in a battle ready pose, her eyes tense with anticipation and fear. Sentinel looked down at his own hands and realized why, his hands were already surrounded by his bright cyan energy. He immediately deactivated them, feeling guilty for almost losing control of his powers.

"I'm sorry, tha-that was an accident" Sentinel tried to defend. He would have said more but the ninja interrupted him.

"I'll be honest, you might or might not be as bad as I think" The ninja said, pointing her blade at his throat. "But either way, _you're a bomb_ and if you even try to go off in my city, you'll regret it"

She threw down a smoke bomb, causing Sentinel to cough and mentally note that those things smelled like farts. He stared down at the ground for a minute, contemplating everything his hero had told him. Until he finally decided it was time to go.

* * *

"It's okay, I get it" Howard reassured Randy.

"You're sure?" Randy probed further, feeling terrible for ditching Howard earlier, Howard was earnestly trying to be Randy's friend again, and Randy felt like he needed to do the same for Howard.

"For the 100 th time dude, yes" Howard replied. "It's your first day and monster attack, I totally get that you were just scared and ran away"

"That's not what happened!" Randy said, sounding offended. "I just-uh, left my stuff in the…bathroom"

"It's okay dude, just admit you were a scaredy baby"

"Oh-no, I was not a scaredy baby. In fact I remember when we were kids you were a giant scaredy baby!"

"You take that back!"

Both boys butted heads, looking fierce. But of course those were fake faces they were making, which eventually broke when the two broke out in to laughter. The two boys spent the rest of the day reconnecting (sometimes during class which annoyed the teachers to no end) and finding out the friendship they once had still stood the test of time.

"Thanks man, for sticking with the new kid the whole day" Randy said.

Howard just shrugged.

Without either noticing they had reached the parking lot, where a car was waiting for Randy. Scott being the driver, he honked excitedly. Randy waved at Howard before getting in and driving off with Scott.

"So…" Scott said prolonging the 'o' in his 'so'. "How was your first day of high school?"

Randy shrugged. "It was nice seeing Howard again I guess"

"Something wrong?" Scott asked, a worried expression on his face.

"Nothing, it's just…." Randy said trailing off. "Do you think I'm a bomb?"

"Oh sure kid, you're how do the kids say it, 'da bomb'" Scott laughed at his own joke, but stopped when he saw Randy wasn't laughing. "Oh you're serious? Well I've dealt with actual bombs and none of them have purple hair, kid"

"That's not what I mean" Randy said. "I mean, like the ninja said I was dangerous, I made one little mistake"

"What kind of mistake?"

"….I almost accidentally blew someone's face off. But they were a monster!"

"That's not an excuse kid. That other kid didn't choose the be a monster"

"I guess not…"

"The ninja is just scared"

"I know." Randy replied looking down. "In fact she's got every right to be scared of me, but the way she looked at me….like I was some sort of weapon. It didn't feel fair…"

"I know kid, people are scared of what they don't understand, and based on the report about the lab coat guy, and your encounter with him didn't exactly make you like more understandable in the ninjas eyes, but it's not your fault" Scott said, comforting Randy. "Hey uh, remember that one scientist that was helping Viceroy understand your powers when you were a kid, Julie wasn't it?"

"Yeah?" Randy said not sure where this was going.

"Remember how I was trying to get a date with her?"

"Scott I don't wann—"

"No no listen, she would not go on a date with me, because she was **scared** she knew about my past as a mercenary and soldier. But one day she saw me helping you learn how to read, and then she finally agreed to go on a date with me"

"So you used a child, me, as your wingman?"

"That's not the point, once she saw there was more to me than just my scary face and weapons, she understood I was just a person, just like her"

"Oh that's wonk! So I have to 'prove' that I'm not a psycho monster? That's so unfair"

"I know kid, but the world really isn't fair. But I have faith in you, if any can turn an eight hundred year old ninjas mind, it's you"

Randy finally smiled at Scott, to which Scott smiled back, then made a hard right on the car because he forgot he had to keep his eyes on the road.

"Hey Scott" Randy said, getting Scott's attention once more. "Can I ask for a favour?"

"Depends on the favour" Scott replied, not taking his eyes off the road this time.

"Can I go home?" Randy asked, looking hopeful.

"Yeah, you're new homes being set up right now, Mcfist wanted you to keep living at the company but that would draw suspicion from people smart enough to make the sentinel connection"

"No Scott" Randy said, looking irritated knowing that Scott knew what he was talking about. "I want to go **home** "

Scott sighed. "Look kid, I doubt you'll find something in your parents' home that Mcfist's investigators couldn't. Plus it's been 8 years"

"You promised Scott. You promised I could see my house again"

"Mcfist won't like that we went in there without his permission"

"I don't need his permission, it's my house"

Scott made a sharp turn, making them miss the route to their new home. Randy smiled brightly at him, while Scott simply sighed.

* * *

The man in the black lab coat poured some of the Sentinels blood into a machine that was connected to a computer. The blue screen of the computer turned into a yellow loading bar that said 'analysing'. The figure slumped into his chair and took of his gloves. He placed his head in his heavily scarred hands and began massaging his face.

He did not know how to cope with what he saw in the boys mind, he gave off a heavy sigh that came from the voice box on his chest. He began rummaging through his lab coat until he found a key, he then turned to his desk and used the key to open a drawer, he pulled out a faded picture that had its corners slightly burned. He stared at the picture intently, it was a picture of a man with dark black hair and a woman with violet/purple hair smiling happily as a very young Randy Cunningham stood between them. He placed the picture on the desk, and starred at it.

He turned his head quickly as he heard the computer ding, but his body shook with anger as he saw what the screen said. 'Artificial-Cell-Function {Regeneration} - **not yet mature** ' he raised his arms in anger as he was about to push everything off his desk in a fit of rage, but stopped when he looked down and saw the pictures of the Cunninghams again. He sighed and sat back down.

* * *

"Well?" Scott asked as they walked through singed rubble. The remains of the Cunninghams home weren't pretty, the house was still standing, it's just the inside were all burned to a crisp, not much survived. Scott began to question why Mcfist and his team of investigators hadn't cleaned this place up while they were looking for clues to the death of Randy's parents, but he brushed that thought aside for the moment.

Randy sifted through the burned stuff, he should have been looking for something, anything, but he kept getting distracted by memories of his past life. Randy pulled a badly damaged cardigan from under some wreckage, he chuckled when he saw it.

Scott walked over, curious at Randy's find. "What's that? A clue?"

"I uh, no" Randy replied. "Just I remember this ugly sweater, when my parents and I were visiting my dad's old home in Boston, he insisted on getting this dumb thing. Then he wore it for days without washing it no matter how hot it was, because he thought he looked amazing in it, but mom and I agreed it looked absolutely terrible, so we hid it from him"

Scott chuckled at that little story. "So your dad was from Boston?"

"That he was" Randy answered. "He lived there until he met my mom in Middleburg, then they moved here"

"And then they had a sweet bouncing ball of purple hair come into their lives" Scott said.

Randy shrugged and smiled back. He began looking through the remains of his house once again. He found a broken floorboard, he looked inside as he saw underneath. He signalled for Scott to come over and help him remove the floor board. They pulled the rickety floorboard off and found a box underneath.

Randy and Scott shared a look of confusion as they picked up the box and looked inside. Within were documents, folders and folders with labels on them.

"What is all this?" Randy asked no one in particular, sifting through them and skimming pages.

"And how come Mcfist's guys haven't found it yet?" Scott wondered.

"Scott, I think these are all my parents' experiments!" Randy said. "I definitely remember reading some of these on Mcfists computers"

"You're right, we recovered what we could from your parents burned computers, but these look the same, except more complete" Scott furthered.

"My parents always did prefer old fashioned paper and pencil, it's a miracle it survived the fire" Randy noted. He kept looking through them until he saw one folder labelled project 'Better men', he skimmed through it, recognizing the speech within.

'Through genetic manipulation we will be able to give humans abilities that will radically improve life. Imagine the sick being able to heal themselves. An entire cities population creating a force field around their home to protect themselves from natural disasters. Being able to fly at the speed of sound to get to anyone who may need help. Possibilities are endless' It read, after that it was a bunch of science mumbo jumbo that Randy could not understand, unfortunately it seems he did not inherit his parents brains. Another file caught his attention, one he did not recognize. Everything about it was crossed out in black marker making it unreadable, the only things that weren't were the words 'failure' and the label of the project, 'project Vessel'.

He starred at it with a confused expression, until Scott broke his concentration.

"Well, it's getting late kid" Scott said looking out the window and seeing the stars out. "I say we pack it up for the day. But good job kid, all this stuff will help Viceroy and his science buddies understand your powers better, and maybe then your parents dream of 'better men' will happen someday"

"Yeah" Answered Randy, with more questions about his parents than answers obtained.

* * *

"Aaaaaaaaaah!" Screamed Heidi as she fell through the nomicons pages. She crash landed on a bush drawn by a marker. She got up and rubbed her head.

"Okay nomicon" She said looking towards the sky. "I need advice about that Sentinel guy, can I trust him? Because he seems pretty dangerous"

Suddenly a deep dark cave appeared and a doodle ninja stood in front of it holding a torch but still unable to see anything inside the cave but a pair of glowing red eyes.

"Hmmmm, okay so the caves a metaphor for the Sentinel and the ninjas a metaphor for well, me, the ninja" Heidi commented, the nomicon flashed red angrily. "Alright, alright I'll let you finish, sheesh"

Suddenly words appeared in the air. "What is unknown, must first be known before a ninja raises her sword" is what it read. The red eyes came out of the cave showing a fierce Chinese dragon that wrapped the doodle ninja up in its lengthy body it then raised its powerful fist, the ninja raised her sword and stabbed the beast in its eye downing it.

"Okay, so basically watch him? Make sure he's a threat, and if he is, take him out. Got it" Heidi said. In her year of being a ninja she has mastered being able to remove her soul from the nomicon herself without the nomicon shloomping her out. She jumped into the ground itself sinking in it like water.

If she had stayed she would have noticed that's the downed dragons fist had opened, revealing that a flower was inside. The doodle ninja picked it up and stared sadly at the dragon and the flower.

Heidi woke up with a jolt, she was never going to get used to that. She closed her ancient book of ninja wisdom and placed it on her desk. She sighed and walked towards her window, all this Sentinel business was making her head hurt. She looked across to her next door neighbour's window, which had someone inside? Which was odd because no one has lived in that house for a month. He eyes widened in shock as she realized who it was in there.

"Sandy?" Heidi called and asked at the same time.

Randy looked around confused until he spotted Heidi. "Heidi? What are you doing here?"

"I live here" She answered. "What are you doing here?"

"I just moved in" Randy said. "Guess this means were neighbours now. Oh shweet! That means Howards there too right?"

"Yes Landy, Howard and I live in the same house" Heidi deadpanned.

"Oh cool, cool" Randy said, not sure what to say now. "Welp, I gotta go finish unpacking"

"Wait" Heidi said. "I think we got off on the wrong foot this morning"

Randy raised an eyebrow at her but stayed to listen.

"You saved m-the ninja, I saw you save the ninja this morning, I thought that was kind of bruce" She said trying to thank him without hinting that the ninja he saved was also thanking him.

"Oh" Randy said scratching the back of his head, embarrassed. "That was, that was nothing"

"It wasn't nothing, it was pretty cool" Heidi said, taking a seat at the windowsill.

Randy followed suit. "She just looked like she needed help, and then my body just moved on its own"

"Real humble" Heidi said rolling her eyes.

"Nah, that wasn't me being humble this is" Randy replied, a smug grin on his face. "I totally saved the ninjas cheese back there, if I didn't save her the whole school would've been destroyed, so I guess I technically saved the school"

"Oh yeah, girls are totally gonna dig that confidence" Heidi remarked sarcastically.

"You think?" Randy asked, looking genuinely hopeful.

Heidi giggled at his naïve question. She might not like his opinions on the ninja and Sentinel, but he wasn't a bad guy.

"Can I ask something" Randy said, looking at the lot between their houses, specifically at a tree that was between them. "What's up with this tree? It looks so weird"

Heidi noticed the tree, of course she recognized it, it was the weird tree that grew like it was coiling itself around a large pole that wasn't there, so it gave of a 'spiral' look. Heidi also knew the history of the tree, which in fact involved the boy she was chatting with.

"You don't remember?" Heidi said, smirking at the boy.

Randy only shook his head in denial.

"Well you should, it's your fault" She laughed. "You came here one day, because you wanted to show Howard this 'cool' glowing stuff you found in a bottle in your parents stuff. And then you spilled it on the tree there making it grow super-fast and making it look wonky, cool, but wonky"

"Oh yeah!" Randy said, the memories coming back to him. "And then you told on me! You were such a tattle tale"

"I wasn't…that much of a tattle tale" Heidi replied, blushing at how much of a killjoy she was as a kid.

"And you probably still are, I mean your job is telling secrets. Probably because you can't keep a secret" Randy said, that smug grin back.

"Technically, I only tell 'could-be-secrets' they can still be proven wrong" She defended. "And I can totally keep a secret"

"Sure you can" Randy cooed sarcastically.

"If you only knew, I have one of the juiciest secrets in all of norrisville" She said, a glint in her eyes. "It's about the ninja"

"Oh, now I'm interested" Randy said, his face perking up. "Tell me"

"It wouldn't be a secret the" She teased.

"C'mon Heidi, tell me" Randy said, giving his best puppy dog face.

"Alright" She relented. "The ninja…"

"Yeah?"

"The ninja…."

"mhmmm?"

"Thinks…."

"Thinks what?"

Heidi cupped her hands around her mouth, as if to make sure no one else heard her. "Thinks you're a dork"

She winked and walked back into her room.

"Y'know for someone older than me, you're really immature" Randy commented, smiling at her window.

"Goodnight Randy" She said closing her window.

"Goodnight to you-wait did you just say my name right?" He got no response as the lights were already closed in her room. Randy rolled his eyes as he decided to hit the hay as well.

* * *

"What the juice is happening Viceroy?" Mcfist said, entering Viceroy's lab without even knocking. "'Juice', that's what the kids say these day"

Viceroy sighed. "Nothing yet sir, we're still working on replicating the boys powers. But it's been fruitless so far"

"Take your time, take your time" Mcfist said, patting Viceroy on the back, harder than Viceroy would like. "We're in no rush"

Suddenly a screen next to them started beeping, it turned on and showed security camera footage of the Cunningham's burned down home. The video showed Randy and Scott digging through the house looking for clues.

Mcfist grabbed Viceroy by the shoulder and began shaking him. "Change of plan Viceroy! We are in a total rush, step on it!"

"I'm working as fast as I can sir!" Viceroy answered while being shook violently.

"I need those superpowers Viceroy! If that kid finds out what we did to his parents, he'll turn on us! And I'd like not to be incinerated by a hormonal angry teenager!"

"Calm down sir!" Viceroy said, escaping from Hannibal's grip. "They haven't found anything yet"

"Yet Viceroy! YET!" Mcfist said, panic in his voice. "You better make sure I get those powers Viceroy"

"You will sir" Viceroy said, adjusting his lab coat. "I promise you that"

Viceroy looked at another screen showing the footage from the school security cameras. Viceroy raised his eyebrow when he noticed the Sentinel and ninja arguing, the video provided no audio, but from the looks of it he deduced the ninja and the Sentinel didn't very make like each other.

"Hmmmm, but in the meantime sir" Viceroy said, a plan forming in his head. "I think I have a plan that could keep the boy off our trail…"

* * *

 **Aaaaaand another chapter competed, woohoo :D**

 **Don't forget to review**


	4. Chapter 4

**Aww thank you for all the kind reviews and words :D Sorry for the late chapter, i was _busy...yeah_**

 _ **XD asked:**_ _ **This chapter brings many questions. Who is the black lab coat guy and how he is related to the Cunningham? What secrets McFist and Viceroy are hiding? How the relationship will develop between Sentinel (Randy) and Ninja (Heidi)? I look forward to the next chapter.**_

 **-guess we'll have to wait and see ;)**

 **And Catalyst56 that is a fare criticism, I've gotten other complaints of my grammar too and I've really struggled because I'm not a native English speaker(not making excuses, totally going to work on it)**

 **Anyway this chap. Doesn't have much action as the previous, just a warning hehe its just a small chap with some stuff happening.**

* * *

Randy ran under water. More specifically he was running in a tank submerged in water on a treadmill while a mask that was connected to an oxygen tank was connected to his face. Viceroy, Scott and a team of scientist observed Randy from another room which had a glass window that connected to the room Randy was training in. Viceroy pressed a button and suddenly the water drained from the room, Randy slowed when he realized the exercise was over. He got off the treadmill and took of the oxygen mask, the walls opened using mechanical arms to take his equipment and replace it with new ones.

"Strength training" Viceroy said pressing a button on the control panel so Randy could hear his instructions through the speaker in Randy's training room.

Randy sighed quite loudly. "But V-digitty-"

"Don't call me that"

"-I've been doing these tests and exercises for half the day! It's Saturday, I was going to hang out with my friend today. Seriously harshing my bro time"

"Didn't you spend the entire day yesterday with Howard?" Scott interjected.

"Scott, I love ya, but you're not helping" Randy said, miffed at Scott.

"He is right though, sir" Scott said turning to Viceroy. "He's been at it for a long time. Isn't this enough?"

"No it's not" Viceroy said, clearly also annoyed he had to spend his Saturday doing tests. "It's been 8 years and we are still nowhere near cracking the secrets of the Cunninghams research, we're running out of time—"

"Why would we be running out of time?" Scott questioned, squinting his eyes at Viceroy. "Why the rush?"

Viceroy fixed his collar and regained his composure. "I only meant, that we can't keep hitting a dead end forever, we have to make progress *sigh* but I suppose you're right, two more tests then we'll be done"

"Lunch" A man said, walking in and interrupting them. He brought with him a trolley that held everyone's lunch, much like the ones they use to bring guests their room service at hotels. The man began handing out people's coffee as well. Viceroy took one, he wanted to make small talk and comment about how the lunch delivery guy looked shorter than usual but he was tired and just wanted to finish all these tests, so he didn't even say thanks to the man.

"Alright!" Randy exclaimed getting everyone's attention once more, jumping and shaking in excitement. "Let's do this!"

"Step on the anti-gravity platform" Viceroy ordered as Randy walked onto a platform that hovered over the ground, a metal pole descended from the ceiling. Of course it was no mere metal pole, it was an advanced piece of equipment that could push down with the force of a tank if need be. "Start with one hand, and use the other when you feel like you need it"

Randy did as he was told and placed one hand behind his back and the other on the pole, he exhaled slowly and nodded at them to begin. A screen on the pole flashed '3 tons', Randy momentarily shifted weight but adjusted normally as if he was merely holding up a dinner plate. The 3 shifted to a 12 and Randy buckled slightly, he pursed his lips as he pushed back upwards. After half a minute 12 became 17 and Randy nearly crumpled, he pulled out his other hand and used them both, pushing the machine back once again.

Viceroy nodded at the other scientists in the room and they upped the ante. They turned it all the way up to 26 tons. Randy was forced to his knees, he began sweating, pushing his strength past its limits. He grit his teeth and stood back up, but his stance was wobbly.

"I think that's enough" Scott said. Scott looked sternly at Viceroy when he saw Viceroy ignoring him. "Viceroy, that's all he can take"

Viceroy rolled his eyes then proceeded to sigh. "Fine, end the test"

Randy sighed as the pole retracted into the ceiling, the anti-gravity platform falling back down to the floor. He walked over to a bar attached to the side of the room that had a towel on it, he took it and wiped his sweat off.

"Still he beat his record right?" One of the scientist said. "He used to be able to only lift 20 tons, now he can lift 26, that's 2 buses"

"Yes" Viceroy replied, stroking his chin, deep in thought. "Alright, that's it for today people, I'll carry out the final test myself, and you all can go. Scott be a dear and get ready to bring Randy home"

Scott and the other scientist's nodded as they left the room. Scott throwing an uneasy look at Viceroy as he entered the training room to join Randy before leaving.

Viceroy handed Randy a burger which Randy gratefully attacked with his mouth. Viceroy pulled out two chairs and laid them across from each other. Randy sat on one, and Viceroy took the other. They faced each other while Randy chewed on his burger. Viceroy then pulled out a very sharp looking knife, causing Randy to audibly swallow his food hard.

"I'm only going to make a small cut" Viceroy said. "We need to see if we can get you to activate your regeneration again"

Randy nodded as Viceroy made a cut on Randy's forearm, one Randy figured was bigger than needed. Randy shut his eyes tight at the minor stinging he felt, but concentrated on his wound, his brow was furrowed in concentration as he tried to make the wound heal itself. After a minute nothing happened, and Viceroy merely sighed as Randy looked at him sadly.

"No luck again I suppose" Viceroy said, as he brought out bandages and an anti-infection ointment. He treated Randy cut and wrapped a bandage around him. "I suppose that's all for today"

Randy shifted weight on his seat anxiously, Viceroy knew this meant he had something to ask Viceroy. Viceroy remembered the time Scott sent Randy to him to give him the 'where do babies come from?' talk, he sorely hoped Randy's question wouldn't be anything like that one.

"You got something to ask?" Viceroy said packing his things.

"No um...Absorption training today?" Randy asked, the last part was hurried, allowing Viceroy to deduce that he changed his question at the last second.

"No" He replied. "But I suspect that's not what you wanted to ask me"

Randy sighed and tapped his fingers on the edge of his seat. "Does, 'project Vessel' mean anything to you?"

Randy suspected that the look of shock on Viceroys face told him that it did in fact ring a bell. Viceroy took of his glasses and rubbed his eyes.

"How'd you find out about that?" Viceroy asked, that tiredness seeping into his voice.

"My parents had a file on it" Randy answered. "Everything about it is blocked out in marker, except the word 'failure'"

"That's because it was a failure, Randy" Viceroy said. "Can we leave it at that?"

"Nope" Randy answered defiantly.

"I figured as much. I suppose you have a right to know" Viceroy said sighing. "It was when we first started funding your parents, when they first started trying to develop super powers for us"

Randy listened intently.

"It was one of their more, erm, radical ideas" Viceroy continued, quoting the word 'radical'. "Truly thinking outside the box, I myself didn't know much about it except the tip of the iceberg, robotics really was more of my thing, genetics? Not really, in fact this one time I made a blob that could only be turned aggressive by a combination of chemicals that coincidentally were found in nachos, it was-"

"Viceroy" Randy said, getting impatient. "Stop stalling"

"Right" Viceroy, smiled sheepishly. He took a deep breath and began to explain. "Project Vessel was essentially, creating an artificial human..."

Randy gulped at this new information, but decided not to interrupt.

"They found out that humans, as a species just weren't made to handle super powers" Viceroy explained. "It would destroy us, deteriorate out bodies and minds. That is where project Vessel came in, they decided that if a human body couldn't handle it, they'd make one. A genetically modified body that could handle the strain of numerous super powers without breaking down, then they would simply extract the consciousness of the person who wanted super powers and put it in the new body, a vessel, if you would"

"Then what?" Randy blurted out. "I mean, what happened to the project?"

"As you know it was a failure" Viceroy replied. "I don't know how, and I don't know why, but your parents halted all research regarding project vessel. They were shaken to the core at...something, something involving project vessel that it scared them out of continuing its development. And your parents were never too scared to push the boundaries of science, so if they were scared, we had a damn good reason to probably be scared too. They just kept telling us it was a failure"

"Then?" Randy edged on.

"Then, nothing, we just stopped" Viceroy answered. "They promised they'd find another way. And they did! With you, clearly they fixed the deterioration problem"

Randy sat there deep in thought about the new information he had been given, he sighed. He figured he was satisfied with the answers he got today. "Thanks, V-diggity"

Viceroy rolled his eyes. "Well, I hope you found what you were looking for"

"Not yet" Randy commented. "But I feel like I'm getting close"

Viceroy pursed his lips. "Well, on another subject...I know I've asked you this a hundred times before but, do you really still not remember anything about the night you parents died?"

Randy shook his head in denial. "No, I wish I could but the most I can remember is um, a month before they died, after that it's all a black, next thing I know Scott finds me in the rubble of my house"

"I see, so nothing's changed" Viceroy muttered to himself. "If you do remember something, do tell us"

"Will do" Randy answered. "So can I?"

"Yes, you can go have your little play date" Viceroy answered. "Now go, before I decide you need another test"

Randy shot off his chair and gave Viceroy a salute goodbye as he left. Viceroy pulled out his cell phone.

"Hello, sir?" Viceroy said into the phone.

"WHAT?! WHO IS THIS?" Mcfist yelled into the cell phone.

Viceroy massaged his sore ear and passed his phone to the other. "It's Viceroy Sir"

"Oh" Mcfist said. "Did you find a way to get the ninja to destroy the randy kid yet?"

"Sir!" Viceroy yelled, he then proceeded to look around suspiciously and cover his mouth with his hand to whisper into the phone. "Don't just say things like that, you never know who could be listening. And no, sir, no such plans yet"

"Well, that's a bummer" Mcfist replied. "Does the kid remember anything about how his parents died or what? Because if he does, ohhhh boy..."

"No sir, it doesn't seem so" Viceroy answered.

"Phew, that's good" Mcfist said sighing into the phone. "But still, are you sure you didn't, I don't know, hit him with a mind wipe machine or something? It's a little convenient he doesn't remember a month of his life, especially the one where we y'know...murmur...his parents"

"I guess we're just lucky sir" Viceroy said.

"Well, use that luck to think of a plan to get the ninja to destroy the sentinel!" Mcfist announced loudly into his phone.

"Sir! I told you not to-Oh forget it"

* * *

"Yo, bro!" Randy said into his phone. He tried to keep his phone on his ear, while trying to put his casual clothes over his Sentinel costume, all while he sat in the backseat of the moving vehicle Scott was driving. "I'm finally free! Wanna meet up?"

"Dang it Cunningham!" Howard said on the other end. "I didn't think we were going to hang out today, so I'm hanging out with my casual bros. We're at a chess tournament, which the contestants are playing totally wrong by the way"

"Oh" Randy said feeling dejected.

"Hey" Howard said in a comforting tone. "I'll be back tonight, we could totally hang out then. I could invite my casual bros, and you guys could get to know each other. Oh! We could have a sleepover!"

"That sounds bruce!" Randy said, getting excited. "But, what am I supposed to do for the rest of the day?"

"I don't know man, you're on your own there" Howard replied. "Welp, catch ya later Cunningham, one of the players just moved his pointy hat guy, which was a stupid move, so I gotta go yell at him from the stands, see ya!"

"Yeah, see you later buddy" Randy said, he closed his phone and put it in his pocket then sighed.

"Ah, that's too bad about your friend" Scott said, giving a comforting smile.

"Now I got nothing to do today" Randy said crossing his arms in annoyance.

"Why don't I drop you off downtown with some cash, and you could explore a little" Scott suggested. "You're bound to find something to do then"

"I guess" Randy mumbled in acceptance.

"Cool, just call me when you want to be picked up" Scott said. "I'm just going to go have a drink with some old pals of mine"

The only sign Scott received of confirmation was a sigh.

Scott stopped the car and let Randy out. He gave off a chipper wave of goodbye, which Randy returned half-heartedly.

As Randy watched Scott's car leave he stuffed his hands in his hoodie pockets and began walking down the street. He began looking for something to do, he browsed multiple stores, ranging from books(ugh) to furniture(uggghhh). He looked at his watch and rolled his eyes when he saw it was still too early to call Scott.

He entered an older looking video rental store, which he was surprised still existed since he was pretty sure everyone just took movies and TV shows off the internet illegally nowadays. He browsed the TV shows isle, making faces at these ancient shows. He moved to the cartoons section, he noticed one TV series set he recognized vaguely, Randy arched an eyebrow and picked up the old cartoon.

'Rorg: A hero of the past' Randy chuckled, he didn't remember this show well per se. But he had fond memories of watching it as a kid with Howard, he had to go to Howards to watch it secretly because his parents believed it was an 'uneducational' show.

"Hey! Gimme that!" A voice said beside him grabbing the DVD set, but Randy instinctively held on tighter.

"That's rude" Randy snapped back, he got a good look at the person who tried to take the DVD set from him. They wore a hoodie, sunglasses and a cap, 'totally non shady clothes' Randy mocked with his thoughts. But he recognized one feature, a mole under the person's eye.

"Heidi?" Randy blurted out, unsure of his accusation.

The persons face changed from surprise to defeat. Heidi removed her sunglasses so Randy could see her face, and an embarrassed look on that face.

"Oh bruce, I was right" Randy said, he then took a look at what he and his neighbour were fighting over. "Um, did you want this?" He asked shaking the Rorg DVD set.

"W-what?! N-no!" Heidi denied quickly, her cheeks flaring up. "Why would I want that?"

Even Randy could tell she was hiding something, and he could admit he wasn't the sharpest tool in the toolbox. He decided the best way to get her to tell the truth was to push her buttons a little.

"Well, I guess if you don't want it" Randy said. "I'll take it"

"No!" Heidi said quickly, she sighed in defeat. "Fine okay, I want it"

"For real?" Randy asked rhetorically. "Didn't you say cartoons were for kids?"

"That was because I was talking to the popular kids!" Heidi argued. "They wouldn't understand how great Rorg: Hero of the past is!"

"...Okay" Randy replied, surprise on his face. But strangely he knew what it was like to lie to your friends about something because you knew they wouldn't understand. "But why a DVD set? Can't you just watch everything online now?"

"Did you even look at the box?" Heidi said in an annoyed tone. "That's the special deluxe edition featuring the creators commentary, deleted scenes AND the never released lost episode! Now please give it to me, it is only being sold here and the other Rorg heads are going to find out about the only copy you have in your hands"

"Rorg heads, I cannot take any of this seriously" Randy said, chuckling at the entire situation. "Here take it, I don't think I'll like it anyway"

Heidi snatched the DVD set out of Randy's hand. "How do you know you won't like it?"

"I mean, it was a show aimed at kids' right?" Randy said, shrugging. "It can't be that good"

"How dare you!" Heidi replied angry. "You haven't even watched it! Sure it might have been aimed at kids but..."

Randy wanted to mention he did watch the show, but decided not to because he realized he was a kid back then and couldn't remember much of it, that and Heidi seemed to be on a roll.

"It has a great overarching plot, jokes that go over kids heads and great character development!" Heidi continued. She then forcibly grabbed Randy's shoulders and tried to bring him down, at first it was like trying to push down a pile of cinderblocks to Heidi but then he went down, sitting on the floor with her.

When Randy realized Heidi was trying to get him to sit down, he sat, forgetting his super strength prevented normal people from handling him as easily as they normally would. He could turn off his powers, but that took concentration and he often left his powers own because that felt natural.

"Um, what are we doing?" Randy asked as Heidi huffed and pulled out her phone and earphones. She shoved one earphone in her own ear and gave the other to Randy. Reluctantly he put it on, the two huddled together to look at Heidi's phone. "You're not answering my question, what are we doing?"

"We're watching Rorg! And I'm going to fix that terrible opinion of yours" Heidi exclaimed giddily as the intro played on her phone.

"Oh no..." Randy said.

"Oh yeah" Heidi replied as the pilot started.

* * *

Scott entered one of the shadier looking bars, just like he told Randy, he was down there to get a drink, but that had only been a half truth, because he definitely wasn't going to be having those drinks with any old "friends" of his.

The bar was empty save for one man, his target. He did some investigating, he asked the neighbours of the Cunningham's of what happened that night, if there was anything they remembered, most of them didn't, but an old man had told him that he was out for a walk near the Cunningham's house that night, he told Scott that men that looked like police turned him around, and one of the officers he saw had a long scar on his face. Scott used Mcfists resources to look through the Norrisville police department's personnel files, there was no officer that had that type of scar on their face, but there was however a convicted felon in the criminal records, with a history of being a hired gun, a mercenary like Scott used to be.

Scott had decided to personally find out what happened to the Cunningham's, without Randy knowing. There was still that little voice in his head that told him to tell Randy, but with being a superhero, dealing with the ninjas distrust, all of Viceroys tests and now having to maintain his a C grade average, he knew the stress would crush even that kids super human strength eventually. So he took it upon himself to learn the truth of the Cunningham's, alone.

Scott sat down right next to the man, the tattooed man made a sneer and raised an eyebrow, probably irritated that Scott could have sat anywhere in this empty bar and chose to sit right next to him. Scott smiled brightly at the man, the man only returned a disgruntled "humph". The man emptied his drink, he chugged it trying to get every last drop down his throat, and he did. He immediately started looking for the bartender to get another drink, but found the bartender nowhere in sight.

"Enjoy that drink?" Scott asked, still smiling at the man.

"I guess" He answered half-heartedly.

"Good" Scott said. "It could be your last"

"What are you?-" The man was interrupted by Scott grabbing the back of the man's head and slamming it down on the table, breaking the man's nose.

Scott immediately got up and kicked the chair from under the man, the man fell hard on the floor clutching his broken nose which was gushing blood. The pain became irrelevant when he felt the cold touch of a gun on his temple.

"Now..." Scott said, still in the friendliest tone possible. "You're going to answer a few questions of mine..."

* * *

"Next episode! Quick!" Randy demanded, barely able to control himself. "C'mon!"

"Sorry, I only have 4 episode on my phone" Heidi said, giggling at the younger boys enthusiasm. They had been sitting in that little corner of the video rental store for an hour watching Rorg together. The shop owner didn't seem to mind. "Still think the show is bad?"

"You kidding? This is the cheese!" Randy said. "I need more! How many seasons does this show have?"

"Only 2" Heidi said, shaking her head.

"What?!" Randy said shocked and angry. "Only 2?! This is such a bruce show! How can it only have 2!"

"I know right!" Heidi replied passionately. "It was so good! And they left it on such a cliff hanger!"

"No!" Randy said.

"Yeah it's so wonk" Heidi replied. Her eyes softened looking at Randy.

Randy watched her talk about the show, the themes, the plot, and all her feelings about it. His face changed to one of sympathy when he realized she probably never talked like this with her "popular friends". Which he thought was a shame.

"Um, excuse me?" Someone interupted Randy and Heidi's conversation. Randy recognized her, a short girl with brown hair and green eyes, um Ra something Rachel! Of course she was a freshmen like him. "Is that the special Rorg: Hero of the Past deluxe edition?" She asked shaking with excitement.

Randy turned to Heidi, but at the realization that this was a person from their school Heidi had turned her head down to hide her face, Randy decided to answer her question. "It is"

"Guys! This is it!" Rachel squealed as she beckoned a group towards Randy and Heidi's location, Heidi groaned when she recognized the faces of more of her schoolmates.

"We're the Norisville high Rorg club" A girl with purple hair a few shades different from Randy's introduced. "I'm Theresa, that's Morgan, this is Rachel, and this is Debbie; she's not actually part of the club she's just letting me drag her along. You're the new kid right? Or the old kid who moved back I guess"

"Yup" Randy laughed. "Randy Cunningham. So you guys here for the DVD's too?"

"Yes!" Theresa said. "We've been looking everywhere for it, when we saw it with you we needed to have it, but we didn't want to interrupt your date"

"Date!?" Randy and Heidi said in unison, sounding shocked. For the first time the two noticed how the earphones length forced the two's faces to be very close to each other. Heidi's face was the first to develop a blush which caused Randy to blush. The two quickly separated.

"That was not what was happening!" Heidi said forgetting to hide her face.

The Rorg club (and Debbie) gasped. "Heidi Weinerman?!"

"I-no! Shoot!" Heidi said blubbering for an excuse.

Just then Randy had a brilliant idea. He put the DVD set in Heidi's hand. "Actually these are Heidi's. She found them first"

"What the juice are you doing?" Heidi asked in a whisper.

"Trust me" Randy whispered back.

"Fine" Heidi relented.

"But she'll totally let you guys watch it with her..." Randy said looking non-chalantly at his nails. "If you come over to her house for a sleep over"

"Really!" Theresa said, excitement in her voice.

"I-uh-um-I don't" Heidi stuttered, Randy nudged her side with his elbow. "Y-yeah, It's cool I guess"

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Theresa said as her and the rest of the Rorg club surrounded Heidi and thanked her. She smiled, she was still unsure, but she this felt nice she supposed. She looked around for Randy who had made his way to the door while the Rorg club had her attention. All he gave was a salute and a smile before leaving. She couldn't helping smiling once more.

* * *

"How are we on those powers Viceroy?" Mcfist asked for the hundredth time that day.

"Still nothing Sir" Viceroy answered for the hundredth time. The two walked into Mcfist's office to discuss Viceroys results again, but they stopped in their tracks when they saw a man sitting on Hannibals desk with his feet propped up. A man in a black mask and lab coat.

"Who the juice are you?!" Mcfist asked angrily. "And get off my seat!"

"Sir" Viceroy said shakily, placing a hand on Mcfists shoulder in fear. "It's the man from Sentinels reports"

"Oh" Mcfist said losing all his anger, which was replaced by fear.

"How'd you get in here?" Viceroy asked.

"You really should be more careful of who you get to bring you your coffee" The black clad figure replied, pulling out a rubber mask from his sleeve.

"The Lunch delivery...The coffee!" Viceroy said, he checked his hand where the black clad man in disguise had handed him his coffee, Viceroy found on his sleeve a small black device, Viceroy stared in horror after realizing what it was.

"You should also be more careful about talking about your secrets, especially if a listening device has been attached to one of your wrists the whole time" The figure said getting up and growing into nothing but a giant head, having been a hologram the whole time.

"W-what are you talking about?" Mcfist lied, obviously.

"I'm talking about some gazillionare trying to get super powers, I'm talking about the most loved man in the town trying to use the ninja to destroy a superhero he created, and I'm talking about what you did to the Cunningham's" The black clad figure answered. "That's what I'm talking about"

"...just making sure we were talking about the same thing" Mcfist said, a scared grin on his face, sweat dripping down his forehead. "So you're here to stop us?"

"On the contrary..." The figure replied. "To a certain extent, we have a similar goal, so I'm here to help..."

* * *

 **Not very exciting I know haha but think of this as the calm before the storm, cuz some business is going down next chapter, some** _ **serious**_ **business**


	5. Chapter 5

**Heeeey guys, sorry for the late update, don't really have an excuse this time :P**

 _ **Ninjablue245 asked-So did you base the whole 'ended with only 2 seasons and left on a cliff hanger' on rc9gn or is that how he man ended? Anyway I absolutely love the chapter! It's so hunkin bruce! Keep up the good work.**_

 **Haha yeah! Glad a lot of u guys noticed that, still bitter about it haha**

 **Anyway here we go!**

* * *

"So we help you get the ninja to destroy the Sentinel and you help me get my super powers?" Mcfist asked.

"Well, yes and no" The black clad figure answered on a video screen, that robotic voice still present. "Yes I will help you get your super powers, but in return you are going to help me get the ninja to **fight** the Sentinel"

"Only fight?" Mcfist asked dumbfounded, while Viceroy nodded in understanding.

"For over 800 years, the ninja has never destroyed anyone before" Viceroy said. "So the ninja will weaken Sentinel, and we have to make the final blow"

"Yes" The black clad figure confirmed. "I'm working on something, but it's not full proof, you'll have to come up with something too"

"Okay, but how do we get them to fight?" Mcfist asked.

"That's simple" The figure said. "I don't need telepathy to mess with their heads, but it helps"

"Huh?" Mcfist said, lost.

The figure sighed. "I'll prey on their mental weaknesses. I'll prey on the boy's desperation to know about his parents and I'll use the ninja's paranoia and distrust to our favour"

"I love it!" Mcfist exclaimed. "So glad I thought of this plan"

"Is he always like this?" The black clad man asked Viceroy with an irritated tone.

"*Sigh* Yes" Viceroy answered.

* * *

"TRUTH OR DARE! TRUTH OR DARE! TRUTH OR DARE!"

"I can't believe you guys want to play another round of truth or dare" Randy complained, it was fun no doubt, but he was getting tired of making up lies to hide his connection with Mcfist and by extension Sentinel. As for the dares, they were mostly silly, like trying to play Bucky's triangle or daring Dave to shave his moustache, one of them was to go upstairs to Heidi's room and bug the Rorg clubs sleepover, but Randy wasn't really into it that night. "This is not at all what I though a sleepover would be like"

"C'mon Cunningham" Howard told him. "One more round"

Randy paused, he decided he needed a minute. "I'll pass. Can I use your bathroom?"

Howard shrugged. "OK, but are you sure you want to use my bathroom? I was just in there 10 minutes ago"

"On second thought" Randy said, making a face of disgust. "I'll use the other one"

"It's the one right next to Heidi's room" Howard told Randy as Randy left the room. Howard gingerly went back to playing with his casual bros.

Randy ascended the stairs, making his way to the bathroom, he just needed a moment to himself, having never had much social interaction with kids his age drained him easily, but he was glad they were all great kids who he got along with well. As he walked he noticed that the door to Heidi's room was ajar, he was battling his curiosity and winning but it gained the upper hand when he heard chanting coming from the room.

Slowly he leaned over looking through the crack. He noticed for the first time the Rorg club seem to be composed of all girls (and Debbie, who wasn't actually a member). He saw the girls playing with plastic Rorg swords re-enacting a battle from the show while chanting "RORG!". He couldn't help but giggle at the contrast between the boys sleepover going on downstairs, his giggle did not go unnoticed of course.

"Ahhhhhh! A boy!" Rachel screamed, all the girls ganged up and began saying things like "no boys allowed" or "get out!" Randy only raised his hands in surrender and left still chuckling even when some of them threw pillows at him.

He entered the bathroom, he needed to think. What really happened to his parents and why he couldn't remember anything was eating him up inside. He just stared down the sink's drain, he felt a presence behind him, he whirled around about to activate his powers when he realized it was only Heidi.

"Heidi?!" Randy breathed a sigh of relief. "Don't do that, you're like the honkin ninja"

Heidi smiled, 'if only you knew' she thought. "Yeah, sorry, I just-uh, I wanted to thank you"

Randy looked around, just in case she was talking to someone behind him, in which there was no one. "For what?" He asked, confused.

"For, for the club, for this" She said, tilting her head down shyly, which Randy remarked was kind of cute. "I don't think, I've ever had friends who I could talk to about Rorg"

"Don't worry about it" Randy said. "Maybe one day, you'll stop needing me to hold your hand and start trusting people"

"It's not as easy as you think" Heidi said. "Trusting people, I mean"

"Do you trust me?" Randy asked.

"Hmmmm, maybe" Heidi answered.

"That's not an answer" Randy remarked, rolling his eyes.

"Fine, my answer is sometimes it's better when other people don't know your big secrets" Heidi said, looking serious. "Because they can be used to hurt you"

"I didn't know the person who worked as someone who spreads secrets thought like that" Randy commented.

"There's a lot you don't know about me" Heidi said turning to the door and walking away with a mischievous grin.

Randy sighed, he looked back at the mirror above the sink, he turned on the water and washed his face, but when he looked into the mirror again his eyes bulged out of their sockets.

He saw the black clad figure in doorway's reflection. Randy snapped his head back just in time to see the tip of the figures lab coat move out of sight, Randy bolted out of the bathroom expecting to see the figure right away, but his confusion grew as he saw the figure already at the end of the hall, the figure walked slowly around the corner and out of sight, clearly not trying to flee from Randy.

Randy knowing the figure wasn't trying to escape, walked down the room, making sure the girls didn't notice him, as he walked every light he passed by turned off. "Stop trying to scare me" he muttered to himself, or to the figure, or both. He reached the end of the hall at the top of the stairs and he saw the door was open, he made his way down the stairs and exited through the door.

He entered the front yard, no fear of people seeing him because everyone was asleep at this hour. He looked around carefully, but he saw no sign of the guy in the black lab coat.

"It's so strange" Randy turned looking for the source of the voice, but he found none. "To see you having grown into the person you are now, would the Cunningham's be proud?"

"Show yourself!" Randy demanded at the open night sky. "What do you know about my parents?"

"Everything you do and don't" The figures voice answered. "I also know, how they died"

Randy's hands lit up in his usual cyan energy, rage and desperation on his face. "Tell me what you know!"

Suddenly a searing pain entered Randy's head, he recognized this, it was the same as the time the black lab coat guy read his mind, but this was different instead of getting memories pulled out, he felt them being shoved in. He crumpled to the ground in pain, clutching his head.

He saw visions of a house on fire, he saw his parents battered and bruised, and talking to him, but it was like listening to a song with a pillow over the speakers, it was all muffled. They hid him while they're surroundings burned, his former home, yes, that's where they were. Randy dragged himself across the front yard and propped himself up on the weird tree between his house and the Weinermans.

"Stop!" He choked out. And the pain just stopped, he breathed heavily. He waited for the voice to return but it never did, his face scrunched up in fury and he grabbed the side of the tree and ripped a chunk off in anger. He exhaled slowly, letting his rage pass.

Ms. Weinerman, the girls and boys were together in the living room watching a movie while making some PB&J's, when all eyes turned to Randy when he entered the room. He was sweaty and leaning on the door frame.

"Honey, are you OK?" Ms. Weinerman asked worriedly. The rest of the kids' faces showed concern as well.

"I-I'm fine" Randy said waving off their concerns. "I uh, just think I need to go home, I'm not feeling so good, sorry"

He turned to leave, but Howard caught up with him. "What's wrong man? Why do you have to go home? We live right next door to each other? Are you really OK?"

"I just" Randy replied. "Need to be alone right now"

"OK" Howard said, respecting Randy's decision. "Need help getting your stuff? I can totally get Bucky to get'em for you"

"It's fine. I'll just pick them up tomorrow" Randy said leaving his first sleepover.

* * *

Heidi stared out of her classroom window, wondering what happened to Randy that night. She was so lost in thought she didn't notice the teacher approach her desk. She flinched hard when she slammed a book down on her desk.

"Thinking of any hot gossip to share with the class, Ms. Weinerman?" The teacher asked sarcastically. The class snickered and giggled at Heidi's offense.

"No Mam" Heidi answered looking embarassed. She hated being made a fool of. But even as the teacher scolded her, she couldn't help but let her eyes wander out the door, expecting the boy she was thinking of to pass by.

Randy sat in class barely able to stay awake, he got next to no sleep last night, half of the reason was because he was worrying about the black lab coat guy, the other was that every time he tried to go to sleep the memories he was forced to see would return in his dreams. He laid his head on his folded arms which were on his desk. He couldn't get his mind off the man in the black lab coat, especially since that very person forced himself into Randy's mind.

Randy looked out the window to try and get his mind off the man, he should have paid attention to the class, but that wasn't his thing. His face turned to one of fear and anger as he slowly lifted his head, there he saw the man again. The man hovered in the air, standing on flat disc-like red force field, with his arms behind his back, staring intently at Randy. Randy shot up from his seat, the entire class's eyes were on him.

"I have to use the bathroom!" He exclaimed, and without even waiting for the teachers answer, he left the room in a sprint.

He zoomed through the hallways, bursting out the door to the open field next to the woods, in case the black clad figure would escape again. Relief flooded him when he saw the figure was still there, but that relief turned to anger and steely determination. He stayed out of the class window's view.

"No more games!" Randy demanded. "Tell me who you are! What happened to my parents?!"

"If you want answers" The black clad figure stated. "Shame you say no more games, because that's what you're going to have to do to get the answers you want"

Randy just growled in frustration.

"Catch me" The black clad figure continued. His hand moved like a blur, he threw a force field bubble from it, it grew in size until it slammed into Randy. Randy crashed into the wall of the school with such a force the entire school shook. The figure used the forced disc he was on to jet away at insane speeds.

Randy got up from the rubble, brow furrowed in rage. His clothes had been ripped, showing off his Sentinel costume underneath, he ripped the rest of his clothing off, he then placed a mechanical object on his ear and pressed a button on it, his Sentinel helmet activating and covering his face.

"You wanna play?! Fine!" With that he blasted off, after the man whose secrets he had to know.

Heidi was about to enter her studio when the school rumbled, she nearly toppled. She had been ninja long enough to know that this meant trouble. She sighed, she was about to complain about missing another show, when she heard some people talking while walking through the hallway.

"Woah! Sentinel just flew by" One student said. "Maybe if we're lucky they'll cancel school cuz of whatever monster he's fighting"

"Doubt it" The other student replied. "He was headed towards the city"

Heidi decided her show would have to wait for now, as the nomicon told her, she had to find out if Sentinel was on her side or not. She took out her phone and quickly dialled Howard.

"Howard" She said in a serious tone. "Cover my show for me"

Before he could even answer Heidi hung up and dashed out of the school, pulling out her ninja mask.

Randy followed the black clad figure with haste, zooming through the streets of Norisville. He stopped mid-air to look for his target.

"Those eyes, that purple hair" He heard, he turned immediately to see the figure on a building. "They were hers, but that spirit that energy now that was his. But it's strange, you never got his accent or her mannerism did you?"

Randy got even more irritated this person, knew so much about his parents, but who was he. "I'm done with all this juice! Tell me what you know!"

"I know your parents died miserably" The man said, Randy's hands and eyes lit up in energy caused from the intense rage he felt when he heard that. "They died writhing in pain on the floor, their home burning around them"

A roar erupted from Randy's lips as he charged the figure. The black clad figure instantly erected a force field around himself, that however only seemed to cushion the blow of Randy's momentum a little bit. Randy slammed his shoulder into the bubble cracking it and sending it flying like a baseball being thrown by a pro, it crashed straight through a building, causing panic by the residents inside.

With that the black clad figure used the bubble to fly away once more, thus the chase began again.

* * *

"He took the bait" Viceroy said, watching the battle progress from hidden flying camera bots.

"Are you sure this'll work?" Mcfist asked nervously. "What if your thinga-mabob malfunctions?"

"Sir I am a master of robotics and machinery" Viceroy stated. "It's going to work"

"And there is no way this can be traced back to us?" Mcfist asked.

"None, Sir" Viceroy answered. "At least that's what our new partner said"

"I hope he's right..." Mcfist said.

* * *

The ninja of Norisville swung through the building, she stopped on of the taller one's. She surveyed the area. She noticed a trail of destruction and followed it, there in the distance she found the Sentinel fighting the black lab coat guy from the hologram.

'Maybe they really aren't working together...' Heidi thought, but that wasn't what concerned her now. She looked in in fear at how the Sentinel fought, he flew recklessly and blasted energy bolts with no restraint or care for where he was aiming, all to try and land a hit on the black lab coat guy, he was much more aggressive than usual.

"Something's wrong..." She said aloud, then quickly got her head back in the game and pursued the battle titans.

Sentinel and his opponent sped by side by side, throwing energy bolts and force field discs at each other, with the occasional building getting in between them. Sentinel hid behind one of the buildings, when the black clad figure stopped to look for his opponent Sentinel flanked him from the right. Once again the figure created a bubble around him.

Randy slammed into the bubble, still unable to break it. He came face to face with the figures black mask behind the force field.

"A shame you'll never know why they died" The figure said. "And it's all because you were weak!"

Sentinel reeled back his fist with all his might and struck the bubble. The figure and his bubble got sent flying towards the street, the bubble cracking from impact, it bounced after colliding with the street, but Sentinel was already waiting above the bubble he dealt another mighty blow, shattering the bubble and sending the black clad figure flying. The figure slid on the ground hard, he got up wearily.

Mcforcers had already arrived at the scene and were helping people evacuate, the citizens of Norisville watched as Sentinel hovered across from the black clad figure ominously, looking far more threatening than the villain he was fighting.

Suddenly the ninja arrives at the scene a few blocks away, but the two super powered beings were still in eyesight. She booked it, running as fast as she could.

Sentinel fell to the ground staring his opponent down with a look of intense anger, igniting his hands in energy. The figure, in return, created small force field bubbles that hovered his hands.

"They gave up everything to save you!" The figure said, now with a slight edge in his voice. "While bad men came into their burning house they hid you! They were trying to do some real good in the world, but look at you, look at what you've become, you'll never live up to them! They'd be disappointed"

That was all it took to send Sentinel over the edge, he charged with all his might, the figure charged as well, heading for a full on collision.

"No!" The ninja yelled trying to get in between them. Unfortunately she was not fast enough.

Right before they collided, Sentinel's rage was replaced by shock and horror when the figure deactivated his force fields and dropped all forms of defense. Sentinel couldn't stop his momentum anymore and therefore his super powered fist collided with the figures face full force. The Sentinel and the black clad figure crashed into the side of a building, both were cared by the momentum and force of Sentinels punch.

Once the dust settled, Sentinel opened his eyes slowly. He looked around carefully, he saw on the faces of the citizens of Norisville, pure fear, fear directed at him. Slowly his gaze upon his fist and clothes, with a silent and scared "no" he looked at the red liquid that now stained him.

"You….." The ninja said in horror as well.

"No this is not…" Sentinel was about to attempt to explain, when he noticed something about the body he stood over. The face which he bashed in did not show a broken skull and blood everywhere, it should wires and circuitry. Sentinel sighed in relief, this meant that he didn't actually kill anyone, and that blood was not metaphorically and physically on his hands. Suddenly robotic clamps shot out of the body of the robot lab coat guy and gripped Sentinel's hands forcefully. Only he was close enough to see what was happening to him, but as he attempted once again to explain he felt a searing pain shoot up his body.

Without warning his eyes lit up, beams of raw cyan energy erupted from his eyes. Sentinel turned his head frantically, but the pain prevented him from controlling himself. Holes were blasted through building, the beams creating crater and paths of destruction.

Suddenly his aim was directed towards the innocent civilians of Norisville. The ninja could not allow that to happen, without a second thought she leapt from her spot getting in between the beam of energy and the bystanders.

"Airfist!" She yelled as she used the ancient ninja techniques to block the stream of energy, she barely managed to defend the people and herself.

The pain that clouded Sentinels mind was unbearable, without thinking he looked at the object causing his pain. Looking down, he annihilated the robotic body that clamped itself to him, completely incinerating it. He let out a gasp as he was released from its grasp.

"I knew I couldn't trust you" He heard, he snapped his head around to see the ninja, with a face of pure rage staring at him.

"This looks bad, let me expla—"

Sentinel was interrupted by an airfist coming straight for him, he barely dodged. The ninja already in a fighting stance charged him.

"No stop!" He uselessly tried to argue, dodging the ninja's punches and kicks barely. He wasn't trained to fight people who used finesse and technique, he got socked a couple times in the face and ribs.

He was getting frustrated and made a desperate grab at the ninja. The ninja thinking quickly threw a smoke bomb just as he was about to grab her. Like a ghost, she slipped from the Sentinel's grasp, suddenly he was attacked from multiple sides of the smoke with ninja rings, the ninja using her stealth to its fullest. Sentinels armour like skin blocked the rings, until the ninja threw a special one that exploded on impact. The explosion hurt Sentinel badly. He flew above the smoke to get a better view while holding his side, but a scarf snagged his leg.

With all the ninjas might, she pulled her scarf, bringing the Sentinel crashing to the ground. She jumper up, activating her ninja rage, drawing all her power into a blazing fist.

"Dammit ninja!" Sentinel said, getting up, frustration and anger in his voice. His own fist glowed with energy "If you're just going to keep fighting me, then I'm going to fight back!"

The ninja brought her fist down, and Sentinel brought his fist up. The two collided creating an explosion of uncontrollable energy. The two battled it out, unfortunately when it came to raw power, Sentinel stood above the ninja. His fist won out, blasting the ninja away.

The ninja crashed into a building, the citizens gasped in horror at the state of their hero. They instantly rushed to her side, helping her out of the rubble. She moaned groggily, consciousness fading.

It took a minute to register to Sentinel what he had just done, his breathing became shallow when he realized he just punched his hero in the face. He tried to take a step towards the downed ninja and the people of Norisville, but they recoiled in fear of him, they shakily guarded the ninja, as if protecting a wounded animal from a hunter.

Sentinel shook his head not fully understanding what had happened, in fear he flew away.

* * *

Viceroy entered one of the Mcfist laboratory's cautiously, the sign saying 'Do not enter'. Viceroy stepped in, looking around until he saw the black clad figure hunched over a table, mixing and modifying chemicals.

"I told you not to disturb me" The figure said. "If you needed to report something, just use the video chat, as usual"

"You can't expect me to not keep an eye on your shady butt" Viceroy answered, unable to holdback his sass, despite the fact he was terrified of this man. "You are using one of this company's labs. Anyway, the robot and plan worked, the ninja and Sentinel even got into a little scuffle"

The figure hummed in confirmation. "Worked better than I expected"

"Now what?" Viceroy asked.

"Now, we add oil to the fire…"

* * *

 **Woooh, another chapter down :D**

 **Don't forget to leave your thoughts :)**


	6. Chapter 6

**I dont...actually have a good reason for taking so long to update... :I**

 **I'm sorry! SORRY!**

 **just been difficult to get this fic where i want it tbh, anyway here's the next chapter**

 **also also thanks for all the kind reviews, they're honestly the reason i can write at all haha**

* * *

"BANG, BANG, BANG" A metal hatch on the ground went, until finally it opened with another bang. The ninja of Norisville hastily came through, out of breath. She surveyed the desolate wasteland that once was Norisville, now most of it was gone, reduced to either ruin or ash. The ninja stood there breathing heavily. But the ninja wore more than just her usual ninja suit this time, over it was bullet proof body armor and over that was a dusty old trench coat. Her brilliant blue eyes were now covered by old goggles, but even without them the light in her eyes had faded.

The ninja looked around, contemplating on which direction to go. Suddenly her super senses kicked in alerting her an incoming object, she rolled to the side barely dodging a bullet that whizzed pass her ear.

"There she is!" A man wearing the Mcforcers uniform shouted, behind him were more Mcforcers who quickly raised their weapons at the ninja as well. Though they looked like Mcforcers, they had long since abandoned that name and adopted a new one. "Ninja! The _Sons of Sentinel_ order you to stay where you are and put your hands up!"

"They found me already?!" Heidi cursed inwardly, shaking her head at her own sloppiness. She flicked her wrist, allowing a smoke bomb to fall from her sleeve and into her fingers. She shot a death glare at one of the Sons who flinched and fired their weapon prematurely, as fast as lightning the ninja threw the smoke bomb which collided with the bullet, enveloping the area in a red fog.

"Damn it! This again!" A Son and multiple others groaned, this was the ninja's favourite tactic of evasion, much to the Sons dismay. They moved hastily but carefully through the smoke, looking for their target.

"Don't worry, I've decided to spice things up" They heard the ninja say, all turning their heads looking for the source of the voice. "This is a new type of smoke bomb. _It's flammable_ "

In an instant the smoke lit up like fireworks on the fourth of July, exploding and sending every Son of Sentinel flying in random directions. The ninja knew their armour was tough so she didn't have to worry about casualties.

She rolled her shoulder, trying to get rid of the kink in it, she also desperately wanted to rest for she had been running for a day now, but she couldn't yet. She sighed and looked down, her shadow caught her eye as she noticed it was getting longer, her eyes widened when she realized _why_ it was getting longer.

She spun around quickly, sending her fist at whoever was standing behind her. But her fist was caught by someone who wasn't even _standing_ , he was hovering. She felt her arm get twisted and placed behind her, she bit back a howl of pain as her captors helmet appeared at the side of her face. She did nothing but glare at him.

"Don't you get tired of this?" Sentinel asked. "Because I get tired ninja, I am tired of chasing a rat through the streets of my city"

"This isn't your city!" The ninja spat back.

"Well I guess that's debatable" Sentinel replied nonchalantly. He then forced her to her knees and made her look upon Norisville. "But can you honestly still say this is Norisville? Why keep fighting?"

The ninja looked at her once fair city, its beauty gone, replaced with despair and ruin. She gritted her teeth, but let out a soft breath.

"The building aren't what make this Norisville, Norisville" She spat, defiance in her eyes and voice. "The people, that's what I'm fighting for"

"Oh my cheese what a perfect opener!" Sentinel cheered. The ninja raised an eyebrow and made a face of confusion. "I have to thank you for setting that up. Because you see, I know why you were running"

The ninja inhaled sharply, hoping beyond hope that he was bluffing.

"You ran to try and lead me and my boys away from the rebels and refugees, right? Away from _the people_ " Sentinel said. The ninja struggled violently against Sentinel's grip.

"I'll never talk!" The ninja bellowed, the fire burning in her eyes.

"You don't need to" Sentinel replied. "I just need to know which direction you were running from"

The ninja watched in fear as Sentinel pointed at a section of the city, she dreaded the fact that the direction he was pointing at was the right one. He opened his palm and a small orb of cyan energy shot out, no bigger than a baseball. It sailed through the air and the second it made contact with a building, it exploded.

The ninja's face was one of horror as the explosion took out 4 whole city blocks, it didn't matter how far she ran or how deep underground the people were hidden no one could have survived that. All those people, her friends, her dad, Howard…all of them gone Her face shifted through a range of emotions from horror to denial to rage to pure despair and sorrow that brought her to tears.

"Y-you monster…" She choked out, her tears clouding her goggles. Sentinel ripped her goggles and mask from her face exposing her, he had finally let go of her arm but she did not fight back, she didn't feel like doing anything.

"With that I've exterminated the last of the vermin, but don't worry, you'll see them again" Sentinel said emotionlessly. He held up another ball of energy to the side Heidi's head. Heidi merely closed her eyes, waiting for her end, listening to the sound of Sentinel's energy ball crackle.

"One more thing…" He said. "BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP"

Heidi shot out of bed her brow furrowed and her forehead covered in sweat. She placed her head in her hands, but recoiled instantly when she realized it still hurt from when Sentinel bonked her.

"Just a dream…" She whispered to herself. She reached out and grabbed her alarm clock which was the source of the beeping, but she was honestly glad it awoke her from her dreams this time. She didn't want to go to school but reluctantly she got out of bed and prepared for the day.

* * *

"And now the what's up with the what's up" Heidi announced on her me cast, recording on her phone while walking through school. "The juicest word on everybody's lips, the mega bizarre break down of the Sentinel yesterday, we see what the people think"

Heidi walked up to a random student. "What do you think of the super power beat down that went down yesterday?"

"I thought it was really scary how fast Sentinel pwned the ninja" The student replied in an annoying nasally voice.

"I wouldn't say the ninja was pwned exactly" Heidi retorted quickly.

"No, the ninja was really lame tha—"

"Well no one asked you Doug!" Heidi bellowed before walking away and looking for another student to interview.

"I don't know what to think, it all happened so fast…"

"At first I was sort of happy that the Sentinel appeared here, I thought it was cool we were getting another hero, but now…."

"He killed a guy!"

"I think he should go to jail"

"He's a menace…"

"Why'd we ever trust him?"

"If he really was on our side, he'd take responsibility for his actions…"

"The ninja should take him down"

"This whole thing is kind of scary…."

"FIGHT FIGHT FIGHT, BASH LOVES FIGHTS!"

All of Heidi's interviews echoed the same message, they were scared (sans Bash, but he's an idiot). The ninja's job was to keep people safe and make sure they felt safe, but after Sentinel had taken her down with one punch she wasn't sure if she could do that, not anymore at least. She clenched her fist, the feeling of helplessness making her curse her own lack of strength.

"Heidi?" Heidi spun around, her guard acting up. She was met with a startled Howard.

"Geez!" Howard complained, falling back to his regular stance. "Ease it with the ninjaness please"

"What do you want Howard?" Heidi said, rolling her eyes.

"Have you seen Randy?" Howard questioned, mild worry on his face. "He didn't come to school today and he isn't picking up his phone"

"That's weird" Heidi noted. "How about I help you look for him later?"

"Why can't we look for him now?" Howard asked.

"Um, because we have school?" Heidi said in dryly.

"Can't we ya know….skip?" Howard said wiggling his eyebrows.

"I'm telling mom"

"Okay, okay, geez! We'll look for him latter" Howard relented. "Tattle-tale…." He mumbled under his breath.

"What was that?!" Heidi asked sharply.

"Nothing, nothing haha" Howard coughed already walking away hastily. "Stupid ninja hearing…"

* * *

"Report" The black clad figure said through a video feed to his partners.

"It's pretty much done" Viceroy answered, flipping through a clipboard. "As expected of me. The core is fully functional, the metal strong enough to stand up to an of Sentinels punches, now it just need its pilot"

"And it's got a bruce color scheme" Mcfist added.

"Good" The figure replied.

"Now you report!" Mcfist barked. "How's my superpowers coming along?"

"I'm working on it" The figure replied. "The powers you wanted were unique but as complex as regeneration to create, but are you sure you want that many? Five super powers is pushing it, even I only settle for three"

"Sentinel has 6" Viceroy inquired. "Plasma blasts, flight, regeneration, super strength, enhanced durability and absorption, what makes him an exception?"

"He is a very special case" The figure answered shadily. "Only a truly disciplined human can handle th—"

"Blah blah blah!" Mcfist interrupted. "If that kid can handle more than 3 then so can I! I'm Hannibal Mcfist not some shoob!"

"That's debatable" Figure answered dryly. "But I suppose it's not my concern"

"Oh yeah, one more thing" Mcfist added. "What are we going to do about this?"

MCfist held up a brick in front of the screen for the figure to see.

"What is that?" The figure asked, his robotic voice laced with bewilderment.

"What you don't remember hate brick?" Mcfist inquired, surprise in his voice.

"How old do you think I am?" The figure stated.

"Well back before you kids today had your "internet hate" we had hate bricks back in my day" Mcfist explained, throwing the brick in a pile of hate bricks that the figure apparently did not notice before.

"Sir you're also getting internet hate" Viceroy said.

"Oh" Mcfist said. "Probably would have noticed if I knew how to open my email. Anyway both of them probably say the same thing, "The Sentinel guy is your responsibility", "Your hero punched the ninja!", "I'm scared he turned evil what are you going to do about it boo hoo" What a bunch of babies! But I'm losing potential customers! So how do **you** plan on fixing this?!"

The figure rolled his eyes. "If you bothered to listen to my plan-"

"Which was boring"

"-You would have remembered that this was expected and that you would be making a public announcement soon"

"Oh err, OF COURSE I KNEW THAT!"

"Still…" The figure mused. "I didn't expect the public fear to escalate so quickly, this is a good sign"

"I don't get it" Mcfist asked.

"Tell me, in all your messages, what have the people _not_ asked you?" The black clad guy asked back.

"Umm…"

" _Who is the Sentinel_ " The figure continued. "They haven't asked you that, have they?"

Both Mcfist and Viceroy scrunched their brows in deep thought.

"You're right…"Viceroy remarked having remembered no such thing. "At least as far as I can remember"

"Yeah what the juice is up with that?" MCfist added.

"I'm sure there are some people who have asked, but generally speaking the people haven't asked or don't want to ask. When they look at Sentinel, they don't see that boy" The figure answered, leaning back. "They see the power, the destructive force. They don't want to humanize him, they want to believe good and bad can be black and white, and they don't want to know his identity because they don't want to believe he is or was human. They look at the name Sentinel as if it were the same as the name of a hurricane. They are used to danger and destruction for sure, but they are not used to such a destructive force defeating their 800 year old guardian in a single punch"

"Wow…." Mcfist whispered to Viceroy. "Mr. Philosophy major over here given us a lecture"

"I heard that" The figure said bitterly. "Now, have you made contact with the ninja yet?"

"No" Mcfist answered, looking annoyed. "Haven't seen the ninja. I hate how the ninja can disappear like that!"

"Well stealth is sort of the ninja's dealio" Viceroy added.

"But don't worry my Mcforcers are searching every inch of the city as we speak" Mcfist said. "So we just need to wait till the ninja pokes their head out of their little ninja hidey-hole…"

* * *

"Haven't...found…him…yet..text…if you…do" Heidi texted Howard, after the final bell the two siblings split up to look for their purple haired neighbour. She sighed as she reached the park, the next place she was going to search.

She lazily scanned the area, she stopped when she noticed someone slumped on one of the benches. She recognized that green Mchoodie anywhere. She jogged up to them and place her hand on their back shoulder blade.

"Randy!" She said rather loudly, excitedly.

"Wut?" A man with a scraggly beard answered turning to Heidi instead of the purple haired freshmen she knew. He seemed homeless, and was holding the local garbage kitty.

Heidi recoiled her hand in surprise, she sighed when she realized that this was just some guy with a hoodie like Randy. "Oh, sorry….Your hoodie made me think you were someone else…sorry to bother you"

"Hmmm, well if it helps" The homeless guy smiled. He pointed towards a pond a little ways over. "That kid over there gave me this hoodie"

Heidi's face lit up in relief and joy when she noticed the boy standing by the lakes edge with his unmistakable purple hair. "Yes it does! Thank you!"

Heidi shook the man's hand and made her way to her neighbor. She found him with his hands in his pockets staring angrily at the pond.

"Y'know, if you keep staring at it that hard, the water will start to boil" She announced behind him. Randy jumped like a cat in surprise, so much that he lost his footing on the slippery rocks near the pond and landed on his butt, soaking his pants and red shirt.

"Oh my cheese" Heidi giggled. "Are you okay?"

Randy only glared at her.

"Bad mood huh?" Heidi said extending her hand.

Randy waved her off and stood himself. He shook his leg with a grossed out face, trying to get the water out of his pant leg. "Well, I'm gonna have to go home to change. See ya Heidi"

"Oh no, not until you tell me where you've been the whole day, me and Howard have been worried sick" Heidi demanded, grabbing Randy's arm.

"Gamehole?" Randy said, with shifty eyes.

"And why haven't you answered your phone?" Heidi pressed.

"It-I, *sigh* Okay" Randy relented. "I just wanted sometime alone today"

Heidi's features softened. "What's wrong?"

"It's…I don't think you could help" He tried to explain politely.

"Try me. I can be pretty wise" She shot back, sympathy in her voice. Her bag glowed red in disagreement, but Heidi elbowed it, making it stop. Randy just raised an eyebrow. "Don't pay attention to that"

"I can't really tell you either" Randy explained, looking both suspicious and distraught. "It's just so-"

"You don't have to tell me that much" Heidi said, her brows raising in understanding. "Just tell me how you feel"

Randy's face scrunched up, looking as if he was about to decline, but in the end he sighed and slumped down, his still wet clothes making a squish sound he didn't seem to notice. Heidi lowered herself unto the soft grass next to him.

"I messed up" He said, eyes fixed on the pond. "I messed up so bad"

Heidi said nothing, she simply listened, eh eyes locked on the boy in front of her.

"I messed up so bad, that I might have to leave Norisville" Randy continued. "And, I just got back here for cheese's sake! I just, I now I'm not making any sense right now but I thought I was as good a person as I believed I was, then I snapped and….messed up"

Truthfully Heidi did not understand Randy's situation, but she knew what he was going through. He doubted himself and believed that his failure was confirmation of his doubts. She inhaled slowly, then spoke. Her voice clear and firm. "Then un-mess up"

"I can do that?" Randy asked incredulously.

"Sure you can" Heidi said, her eyes not leaving Randy's. She placed her hand gently on Randy's shoulder "You messed up? No big deal! Everyone makes mistakes, what's important is you don't let those mistakes make you, you let them teach you, you do everything in your power to fix it. Fight for your right to make things, um, right"

Randy listened, letting Heidi's words sink in. His eyes soften, as if seeing his neighbor in a new light.

"And you say you're not as good a person as you believed you were? Then work towards being that person. And the fact you care about that kind of thing, the fact that you can look at yourself and try to see the bad you need to work on, that already makes you great person in my book" Heidi continued. "A bad person doesn't worry about not being good"

Randy smiled in gratitude, he wasn't sure yet if he agreed with her, but he appreciated it anyway.

"Thanks Heidi" Randy said, getting up. "I'm gonna go home, have to change my shnasty clothes"

"Hey" Heidi said just as Randy was walking away. "It'll all work out"

A smile was the only reply Randy gave before walking away. Heidi sighed as she too decided it was time to go.

As Heidi walked out the park, she decided to send Howard a quick text, telling him Randy was OK. As she ended up on the sidewalk, she saw car pass by, the passengers in particular caught her eye. McForcers were driving the military styled truck, the man she met named Scott driving. Heidi knew that anything Mcfist had a connection to the Sentinel, her face turned to one of determination. She ducked behind a car, slipped on her mask and decided to pursue.

Concealing herself, she followed the vehicle until it stopped near an alley. The men inside exited leisurely and looking bored. She activated her super senses, she channeled her hearing until she could pick up on their conversation.

"Captain, if we didn't find the ninja in the 13 other alleys we searched in today, then I doubt we'll find em here" One of the men whined.

"Keep looking" Scott replied, his tone being less then friendly. "It's our orders, unless you want to have bathroom clean-up duty for a week"

"Why are they looking for me?" Heidi wondered aloud. Her memories suddenly flooded with the dream she had that morning, she reasoned that they were under the commands of the Sentinel, and are trying to bring her down. Not unless she brings them down first.

Scott was about to make another order, when suddenly red smoke erupted from all around them. The men panicked, Scott tried to issue an order when he heard one of his men scream in terror.

The McForcers raised their weapons, despite the smell of the smoke bomb, the air was tense, so tense it could have been cut by a ninja sword. The lack of vision due to the smoke didn't help much either, the only sound any of them heard was their own slow breathing.

Suddenly out of the smoke emerged the Norisville guardian, in a flurry of hands she slammed her forearm on a McForcers rifle to her right, releasing it from his grip, she used her other arm to chop another McForcers neck to her left sending him to the ground, she then ducked low and grabbed the unarmed McForcer by the ankles and flipped him. She jumped high in the air, her foot made contact with another McForcers face, she moved to fast, and disappeared just as quickly, they couldn't get a shot in before ¾ of their numbers were incapacitated.

"STOP!" Scott barked. "We're not here to fight! Men put your weapons down now!"

They did as their captain demanded, Scott as well placed his gun on the ground. "It's okay, we don't want to fight you"

"Tell that to your super powered boss" The ninja said, lowering her weapons a little, but not completely putting them away.

"I-I'm *cough* calling Mcfist now" One of the men said getting up from the ground, where the ninja had placed him earlier.

"Mcfist?" The ninja asked in a confused tone.

"Yes, he's our boss, not Sentinel" Scott answered. His face suddenly changed into one of worry and sleeplessness, his worry making him look older. "Speaking of him…What happened to him? I read reports and saw the videos, but you were the last person to see him, what, what happened?"

Heidi raised her eyebrow, she had put two and two together and deduced from the first encounter he had with Sentinel and Scott that Scott and Sentinel had more than just a work relationship. "You weren't here?"

"No I was…" Scott began to answer, he then clenched his fist in anger. "I was out of town, looking for information on something. But, ugh! If only I'd been here, I could have done…something! Is there anything you can tell me?"

Heidi shrugged. "Not that I can remember, maybe he just snapped and finally showed his true colours"

"He wouldn't!.—"Scott couldn't answer back properly, as he was interrupted by a loud voice.

"Scott! That's enough" Mcfist said, his voice coming out of a cell phone, one of the McForcers were holding. "I sent you to find the ninja so I could talk to them! So no more dawdling!"

"But sir!"

"That's an order Scott!"

Scott turned away and relented, storming off in a huff.

"Geez, what's his problem" Mcfist remarked. "It's so hard to find good soldiers now a days, now they all have to have feelings"

"What do you want" Heidi said bitterly.

"Nothing much ninja, I Just want to fix the mistake I made by bringing Sentinel here in the first place" Mcfist said. "I want to help you"

The ninja stared narrowly at the phone. "I'm listening…"

* * *

The night was cold as pedestrians walked the sidewalk. On the window of an electronics store, there were numerous TV's, all images on the TV changed to a "breaking news" program. A Truck passed on the street, temporarily blocking the view of the TV's from across the street, once it passed a boy stood in front of the Window of the electronics store.

Randy stared at the TV's from under his hoodie. He had decided to change his clothes to completely different ones when he heard Mcfist was making a "big announcement". He feared his former boss would out his secret identity to the public, so he wore a bigger and dustier hoodie which were zipped up all the way and cargo pants with a camouflage design. Mcfist faced a group of journalists and news anchors, what surprised Randy was the fact the ninja joined Mcfist to his right, that wasn't good.

"Citizens of Norisville, I Hannibal Mcfist have decided to work with the ninja to rectify my mistake, known as the Sentinel" Randy winced after hearing that. "We will bring this threat down. And now the some words by our own towns protector, the ninja!"

Randy watched the ninja take the stage. He noted her grace, but also her unmistakable authority she demanded in that instance.

"People of Norisville" She said, her body faltering, making her now look vulnerable. "I failed you, I wasn't strong enough for you. But I promise, I will not fail you again. To Sentinel, let's end this, tonight, Mcfist industries roof, if you've got what it takes" Her face full of anger and determination.

With that the announcement ended and program went back to its regular schedule of cartoons. Randy closed his eyes, inhaling slowly and exhaling just as slow. He pressed the button on the side of his ear, activating his Sentinel helmet. He then grabbed the center edges of his zipped up hoodie and tore it open, revealing his sentinel costume underneath.

* * *

Heidi in her ninja suit atop Mcfist industries roof, fiddled with a black robotic box. She looked up to the clouds noting that it may rain, but what caught her eye was not the dark clouds but rather the small figure she saw slowly flying towards her destination.

Her finger hovered over a button on top of the black robotic box, wanting to press it here and now. "A last resort, a last resort" She mumbled to herself storing the black box in her sash, unsure if she could trust the person who gave her that object.

Sentinel descended slowly half a football field away from Heidi, he still wore his hoodie and cargo pants over his costume. He landed and the two stared each other down, the moonlight glinting off Sentinels helmet.

"We don't have to do this" Sentinel said firmly.

"Yes we do" The ninja answered just as firmly.

Like a western standoff, someone had to draw faster, and that was the ninja. She erupted in a blaze of fire, activating her ninja rage in a flash and sending a fireball at Sentinel. Sentinel clapped his hands together, the air created by the force of his clap blew the flames away. When the fire cleared he saw the ninja crouched down, like a cat ready to strike.

"Now!" The ninja barked while holding a com piece on her ears. From the shadows behind the ninja a large metal box zoomed by like a bullet.

It crashed into the Sentinel sending him flying and crashing into the roof of the building, his clothes were now burned and ripped, but his body was fine. He got up just in time to see the ninja leap in the air.

The large metal box zoomed through the air, making course corrections and now flying straight towards the ninja, it changed shape much like a transformer. It split up and flew to different parts of the ninja's body. In casing her in an advance robotic exoskeleton.

The ninja landed in front of the Sentinel, her armor gleaming in the moonlight. The Sentinel stood, and tore off what was left of his disguise. The two titans stared each other down, both with indomitable spirits.

"That would be so cool if it wasn't made to kill me" Sentinel said, his tone deadly and serious.

"Kind of cliche" The ninja replied with just as much venom in her voice. "But I can't complain if it gets the job done"

The two reeled back their fists faster than lightning, and with a war cry their punches collided. Signalling the start of the battle that shook the city to its core.

* * *

 **Here we go fight time! welp time for another hiatus, see ya guys!...just kidding haha, i'll really try to do this faster next time, i promise**

 **till then review and let me know what u think :D**


	7. Chapter 7

**Yes hello! Surprisingly this story isn't dead yet! Haha.**

 **Well I don't really have an excuse for taking A FREAKIN MONTH TO UPDATE, so I understand if most of u guys r upset with me :[**

 **But you guy's sweet reviews honestly kept me going, well it's Christmas break now so I'm gonna try to do better and I intend on trying to keep that promise.**

 **Anyway this is a little rushed cuz I just woke up and decided I was going to finish this chapter now! Fighting spirit amiright. So I'll fix the grammar errors and whatnot eventually but for now a little rest.**

* * *

Both titans were knocked back by each other punch. The ninja recovered faster, she aimed her fist at Sentinel, and from the advanced armour she was wearing a robotic gun built itself from her forearm. A barrage of ninja rings fired at Sentinel.

Sentinel fired his cyan energy back, and began blasting the ninja rings. Foolishly he tried destroying them all with precise blasts, but they broke through. A string of curses erupted from Sentinel mouth as he was cut multiple times, he brought both hands together and fired a giant column of energy that disintegrated all the ninja rings in one huge blast going directly for the ninja, throwing precision out the window.

The ninja dodged to the side, the blast nearly taking her foot. She took out the Black box she had kept earlier. Her mind raced on whether she should use it. She had to make the right call, especially considering where she got the box.

 _Earlier that day, after her speech with Mcfist…._

"…Let's end this, tonight, Mcfist industries roof, if you've got what it takes" The ninja announced. She climbed down the stairs as journalists and anchor men tried to swarm her with questions, which she refused to answer.

The ninja entered the backstage as Mcfist recaptured everyone's attention. The ninja pulled out a smoke bomb ready to make her exit, when a soft "wait" stopped her.

An elderly man in a wheelchair rolled up to her, the wrinkles on his face showed weariness. He wore a dark fedora and trench coat. He rolled right up to the ninja as she cocked an eyebrow at him.

"You cannot stop the Sentinel" The elderly man said, desperation in his voice.

"I can try" The ninja answered, recalling her last, extremely brief, battle with the Sentinel. Even knowing she now had extra protection in the form of a battle suit, she wasn't sure if it was enough.

"No, that's not enough" The man replied shaking his head. "You must defeat the monster I have created"

"You created?" The ninja asked voice rising, her eyes bulging out of their sockets.

"Yes….." The man said, old eyes cast downwards. "I am Doctor Norman, I created the Sentinel"

A million question raced through the ninjas head, but all came to a halt when Dr. Norman took out a small black box with a button on the top from his coat pocket.

"This" He held out the box to her, hand trembling. "Is the key to defeating him"

"What is it?" The ninja asked, hesitantly taking the box.

"It's a nullifier, it's tuned to Sentinels powers, and it sends a signal to his body forcibly making it comply with the machine's instructions" Dr. Norman explained. "Press the button and he'll be powerless, provided he stays within the 10 feet radius of the machine's signal"

"Will it hurt him?" The ninja asked, looking over the device slowly. "Or…kill him?"

"What does it matter?" The elderly scientist asked, his face stoic. "He's not human, you should feel no remorse if it does"

"Will it kill him?" The ninja asked, more force behind her question now.

Norman sighed, he placed both his hands on the wheels of his chair. "No, it's not like kryptonite to superman, it's not going to do anything except take his powers away, making him human. But remember ninja, he is far from human, he is a threat"

He turned and began rolling away on his wheelchair. Naturally the ninja couldn't just let him go.

"How do you expect me to trust you?" The ninja asked. "You just appeared out of nowhere? How can I be sure you're telling the truth?"

"You can't" The old scientist said, he continued to roll away without a lance back. "Don't you have a fight to prepare for?"

The ninja looked at the small black box she was given, her heart telling her to be wary. When she glanced up Dr. Norman was gone, this only helped her suspicion grow….but there was a voice, a small voice wondering if this truly was the key to stopping Sentinel.

* * *

Norman rolled towards a black limo with a Mcfist industries robo-ape chauffeur holding the door open for him. Norman stopped when he was close to the car, he then proceeded to place both his hands on the wheelchair and pushed himself up and began walking on his two fully functioning legs. As he walked he tore off his face, which was made of a rubbery material, revealing the man with the black featureless mask underneath.

He stepped in the vehicle and took a seat, he nodded at the chauffeur and the robo-ape closed the door and made his way to the driver seat, got in and drove them away.

* * *

 _Now, Mcfist industries rooftop…._

In the end she decided against using the device and stored it back in her pocket.

The ninja lunged, dashing in a low sprint, a sai ejecting from under her suits forearm and into her hand. Once she was in range, she made a stab at Sentinel with the sai. Sentinel dodged, the sai nearly colliding with his face, he caught the sai with one hand, holding it tightly, the ninja however did not let go of the sai either, and the two were now face to face.

"Stop this already" Sentinel said, his voice serious.

"Make me" The ninja said, she used her other hand to press a button on her suits belt. Suddenly electricity traveled from the suit into the sai, which Sentinel was still grasping.

A cry of pain erupted from Sentinels mouth as he was violently electrocuted. He let go of the sai and attempted to land a hit on the ninja, to which the ninja dodged. The ninja dropped her sai and reared her fist, its robotic gauntlet jutting out a quick and small line of steam, she delivered a powerful uppercut that sent the Sentinel flying across the roof they were battling on. Before he hit the ground he stopped midair, levitating, his body went rigid, and in a blur of blue and black he came zooming towards the ninja.

Steam jetted out of the ninjas robotic arm once again, she threw a punch intending to meet him head on. Sentinel threw out his hand too, but instead he caught the ninja's mighty punch, air rippled from the force of the strike Sentinel had just stopped. The ninja's eyes turned to fear when Sentinel crushed her armours gauntlet, rendering it useless. He then threw her across the roof they were on, she skidded on its rough metallic surface, she sat up grunting, the ninja looked at her armours mangled hand and ripped it off deciding it was pointless to keep it on now. She glared at the Sentinel who was making his way to her.

"Stay down!" Sentinel boomed. "If I wanted it, you'd be—"

"I'd be what?" The ninja interrupted, getting up just as lightning flashed on the clouds above. "Dead? Just like the black labcoat guy? The one you tore a city block apart to kill?"

"That's not what happened!" Sentinel retorted. It was raining now, with the clouds covering the moonlight.

"I'll tell you what happened" The ninja yelled over the rain. "You decided that that guy was too much of a nuisance to put up with so you put him down, permanently"

In a lightning fast flash, the ninja threw a couple of flash balls at the Sentinel, temporarily blinding him. The ninja wasted no time and made a dash at him, delivering a powerful kick to his thigh the second she was in range. The ninja did not let up there, she handed out a series of ultra-quick punches to his ribs and face. Sentinel tried to counter attack to block to do anything, but he was clearly outmatched in terms of skill. Another failed attempt at a punch was caught by the ninja, she twisted Sentinels arm around his back.

"You are extremely powerful, so much you might not be human anymore" She said into his ear. "What if one day you decide you know what's best for us? What if one day you decide all this power give you the right to choose what's right?"

"You're being a wonk based on a what if?" Sentinel spat.

"Not a what if" The ninja retorted, venom laced in her voice. "I've seen it before, shoobs who think that because they're stronger they deserve to run things, whether it's some jerk from the 80's who thinks they deserve that power, or some swamp wizard who thinks that just because they can, they get control of other living things, or some _thing_ that wants nothing but chaos just because they want it. The powerful can't stop themselves from thinking like that"

Sentinel audibly growled, feeling the sting of his hero's words. He wasn't sure what or who she was talking about exactly, but he knew she was being hypocritical, the ninja is insanely powerful why isn't she evil? he thought. "What makes you different?"

"I'm on a time limit" She growled in his ear, in a blur she let go of Sentinel and jumped, she then gave a powerful drop kick to Sentinels back.

He cried in pain as he fell forward, he landed on his stomach on the hard wet roof. He rolled so he would be lying on his back. He looked up just in time to see the ninja had jumped high in the air, and she was going to land right on him.

"Oh wonk—"Was the last words the ninja heard Sentinel say right before she stomped him, straight through the roof. The two crashed through the Mcfist industries roof down two levels, they landed still with the ninja standing on top of Sentinel. She jumped of and picked him up by his chest, she shoved him hard up against a wall.

"It's time you learned what it means to be human" She said, the sound of rain now only audible by the drops falling in from the hole they made. The ninja raised her arm, but instead of her fist, she readied her elbow, which she knew was much deadlier than the fist. "What it mean to feel weak and vulnerable…."

She began giving brutal blows to Sentinels head one by one with her elbow, the 4th strike broke through the lower half of Sentinels helmet, clipping his now exposed mouth and causing him to spit out blood.

"What it means to **bleed** " She finished.

Sentinel raised his head slightly, his now exposed mouth formed into a sneer. The ninja's eyes widened when she saw Sentinel's visor begin to glow, she desperately shoved her hand on Sentinels face trying to block his laser vision with her one armoured palm. To little avail, as she soon felt the intense heat from the energy affect her she recoiled from Sentinel in pain, Sentinel didn't let up, he yelled in rage, blasting her with his laser vision, the ninja stumbled backwards trying to escape the blast.

Sentinel ceased blasting heat from his eyes and levitated, the ninja's eyes scrunched in anger. The two charged each other, Sentinel winning by tackling her and taking her with him for a ride. Sentinel roared as he crashed through multiple walls with the ninja front and center to receive the impact. With a loud boom they emerged the other side of Mcfist industries. Sentinel let go of the ninja once they were out in the open air, then punched her with the force of a truck downwards.

The ninja screamed as she crashed into the Mcfist industries parking lot. Sentinel soon came flying down in her direction.

* * *

"Ahhhh! My beautiful building!" Mcfist cried, watching the battle a large screen TV. "I'll lose millions of dollars in repairs!"

"Sir you have gazillions of dollars, I doubt a few million will suddenly put you on the street begging for a few bucks" Viceroy replied.

"Don't sass me Viceroy!" Mcfist practically yelled in his ear. "You know I hate losing any amount of money. Why'd it have to be in my precious building?!"

"Because it's one of the only places big enough that the collateral damage won't spread and your employee's were the only ones fast enough to vacate their work place, seeing as most of them are robots"

The two were currently in a backup safe house away from the fight, it was setup with multiple screen from different angles, all of the video feeds captured from their advance satellites.

"I got it! How about we finish them off now! That way my company and bank account doesn't have to suffer anymore" Mcfist said, grabbing a big remote from the table and hovering over the big red button on it. "It would be so easy…. To press this button and get the ninjas suit to go boom! Destroying the Sentinel! And as a bonus we can get rid of a future nuisance, the ninja!"

"Patience Hannibal" Viceroy said, snatching the remote from Mcfist's hands. "We need to be absolutely sure Sentinel can't escape"

"But-" Before Mcfist could argue he was silenced by Viceroy's phone ringing. Viceroy held up a hand to MCfist as he picked up his phone with the other. Mcfist watched Viceroy's face shift from one of indifference to surprise to one with a deep pout.

"Um it seems our, uh, partner" Viceroy said, putting his phone away. "Is gone…."

"What!" Mcfist bellowed. "Where'd that shoob go!?"

"I don't know si—"Viceroy was interrupted when a loud boom came from the TV screen. He saw that the Sentinel had just crashed on the ground aiming for the ninja, but the ninja had barely escaped.

"That shoob will have to wait" Mcfist said, grabbing the remote again. "We have more important things to worry about"

* * *

The rain continued to pour on the two heroes, Sentinel stood up menacingly from the rubble as the ninja glared at him. The ninja cursed silently at herself for having lost the upper hand. The ninja yelped when the Sentinel became a blur that crashed into her with his shoulder. She grunted from the impact, she was thrown half a yard away between two trucks. Once again the Sentinel was upon her in an instant.

He stood above her downed figure his hands b,lazing with energy. The ninja flinched as he raised one hand, believing this was the end for her, but when she cracked her eyes open she saw that Sentinel had powered down his hand and lowered it, his visible mouth clenched. She used his hesitation to her advantage and used her suits powerful legs to kick his away, he stumbled backwards with an "oof!" and the ninja did a kick up. She used the enhanced the strength the suit provided her and grabbed both of the truck that were at both of her sides. She brought them together hard, squishing Sentinel in between. He cried in pain as his body dented both of the trucks, the ninja wasted no time rushing her disoriented opponent.

"Engage, Air fist canon!" She yelled, her suit complied by transforming the suit from the forearm down into a robotic canon that looked like something a cyborg would use. She slammed the canon into Sentinel's face, disorienting him, then pressed it to his chest.

"What are you waiting for ninja!? Shoot him!" Mcfist yelled in her intercom.

"But when he could have finished me, he hesitat—"

"Shoot him now!" She shut her eyes and did as she was told, the weaponry enhancing the destructive power of her air fist. An explosion of energy and air erupted from where they were standing, the force knocking away the falling rain from the midair, Sentinel being shot into through the sky like a cannonball, straight back into Mcfist industries. The ninja used her powerful legs to launch herself towards Mcfist industries, to continue her onslaught.

Sentinel crashed into the Rec room of the building. He stood and shook off his disorientation, he heard a shuffle come from the stairs behind him, and without wasting a single moment he pinned whoever was there against the wall with his forearm. Sentinel's sneer changed into a look of surprise.

"Scott?" The super powered teen asked, bewildered. "What the juice are you doing here?"

"Give *pant* me * pant * a minute" Scott panted as Randy released him. "I had to run around the entire building trying to catch up with you"

"Oh sorry-wait why am I apologizing?! Where've you been for the last few days?!" Randy bellowed. "Everything's went to wonk and I really needed you to be there, man"

Scott bit the inside of his cheek, his eyes downcast. "I'm sorry kid, I know you did. But I was out on….um…business"

"Whatever" Randy replied audibly exhaling.

"If it's any consolation, I know you didn't really kill that guy" Scott said, with a thin smile.

"It was a robot" Randy answered, shaking his head. "It made my powers blow up, to frame me"

"That makes sense" Scott replied. "I know you'd never kill a man and beat up the ninja, just isn't you"

"OK, technically I did beat up the ninja" Randy said, a strained smile on his face. "But it was an accident!" He added hastily.

"You're kind of getting your butt handed to you out there, can't you just…" Scott said, worry written on the lines of his face. "Beat the ninja again?"

"It's not that simple Scott, she's got some high tech armour thing that Mcfist made for her" Randy replied. "And I don't want to go all out on her, she's not a bad person Scott"

"I don't know kid, it might be time to stop pulling punches" Scott said.

Randy looked at Scott, his eyebrows raised high in surprise. "Wait wait wait, you're the one who told me not to fight her, to try and convince her I wasn't a threat"

"I know" Scott replied, his eyes pleading. "But it's different now, she might actually bring you down kid, I'd rather u prove you're dangerous than you being dead, I just…have a bad feeling about all of this"

Randy stared at the ground hard, contemplating what Scott had just asked him to do.

"And another thing, that armour…"Scott said, placing his hand under his chin in deep thought. "It's weird they prepared a battle armour used to beat you so quickly when they only 'turned' on you a day ago, how'd Mcfist make it so fast?"

Randy shrugged. "Beats me, both metaphorically and physically" Holding the part where the air fist canon blasted him, ripping a hole in his suit.

The building shook, as if someone landed on the side of it and was now scaling it. And Randy knew right away who was doing just that.

"Go Scott, she's almost here" Randy said.

"I left when u needed me most, I'm not leaving you again kid" Scott said defiantly.

"Scott, I can't fight her and try to keep you safe too" Randy said, looking Scott in the eye. "So go"

Scott cursed his lack of ability to help. "Be safe kid" He said as he ran down the stairs once more.

The ninja climbed through the hole just as Scott left, her power armours glowing lights the only thing illuminating the dark rec room her and the Sentinel were in. The ninja flicked her wrist, making electricity run through her suit once again.

"Not this time!" Sentinel yelled, raising his foot high and bringing it down hard on the ground before the ninja could even get close enough to shock him again. His strength crippled the floors stability, causing the ninja and her heavy suit to break it and fall through. She screamed as she landed on her back, when she stared up the hole she yelped as Sentinel was already above her holding his hands out facing directly at her.

Sentinel roared a battle cry as he unleashed a wave of energy, bombarding her. The explosions caused her to crash through multiple floors of the building until she reached the basement level. She thanked God and Mcfist that her armour held, but she looked worriedly at how most of their parts seemed to be broken now, she didn't know how much longer she could hold out. She stared up, eyes widening as the Sentinel was rushing downward intending to crash into her from above through the holes she fell from. She scrambled out of the way, barely dodging. She looked on as the Sentinel got up, teeth bared and gritted. She pulled out a smoke bomb and threw it down hiding herself.

"Oh come on! Real fair!" Sentinel yelled out, looking around the dark basement for his opponent.

"I don't want to hear that from someone who killed a guy!" The ninja's voice retorted back from the darkness.

The Sentinel heard a faint noise and spun around firing a blast of energy, but there was no one there. He barely noticed the ninja at his side, her air fist canon at his hip. He only had a few second to register what had happened before he was blasted sideways into a wall.

"Ninja rage!" The ninja yelled, as flames erupted from her body, the armour also changing colour. She blasted Sentinel with a stream of fire from her air fist canon.

The Sentinel held out his arms as he blocked the intense heat, his suit getting burnt up and his defenses wavering. He clenched his fists and flew through the fire at full speed, blocking the ninjas flame canon with his hand, he got right up in the ninja's face.

"You're so desperate to prove that I'm a monster" The Sentinel spat, letting all the rage and frustration he had built up from the ninja's hate and isolation take over. "Let me show you how dangerous I really am!"

He ripped the cybernetic arm/canon off the ninja as her ninja rage powered down. She tried to retaliate with a swift kick, but the Sentinel caught her foot and begun spinning her, he released her but he still held on to her legs armour, the armour being ripped off her leg as she was flung at extreme speed across the room. The Sentinel dropped the armour he had taken and flew as fast as he could after the ninja. At his top speed he had already flown past the ninja while she was still airborne, in an instant he was behind her and snapped his knee upwards on her back sending her flying upwards this time. The ninja screamed in pain as she felt her back almost brake, she crashed through the roofs once again sailing by the floors of the building but going upwards this time. She crashed out the top floors building ending up where she and her opponent had started, the roof.

The ninja got up warily as the Sentinel crashed through the roof as well, she breathed hard, she was running out of options.

Then Sentinel charged again. But the ninja roared a battle cry as she charged at him as well.

* * *

"Now's our chance!" Mcfist yelled, watching the screen seeing that the Sentinel and the ninja locked in a hand to hand battle.

Mcfist's pressed the button, and the ninja's chest piece began beeping. Mcfist looked giddily at the screen as the ninja and Sentinel both noticed the beeping and both looked at the ninja's chest piece. "Finally! Say goodbye ki-" Mcfist couldn't finish his sentence as he saw Sentinel rip out the ninja's chest piece and threw it high into the air where it detonated illuminating the rainy night sky.

Mcfist's face fell and he only stared blankly at the screen. Viceroy coughed, though it didn't seem to regain Mcfist's attention.

"Plan B?" He asked his boss.

"Plan B!" Mcfist yelled his face turning red from anger. "Send in the Mcforcers to finish him off!"

* * *

The ninja stumbled back, her suit having lost its protective chest piece that also acted as the power source for her armour. She wondered why her chest piece exploded, but had come to the conclusion it must have malfunctioned, but she couldn't afford to worry about that now, she was now back to her average level of power. She had ran out of options, seeing as her armour was now useless, she ripped off the little that remained, now being back in her normal ninja suit.

The ninja stared at the Sentinel who was levitating menacingly in the rain, fire in her eyes. The Sentinel crossed his arms and looked right back at the ninja.

"What no more toys left?" He mocked, an angry edge in his voice.

"I still have one left" The ninja answered pulling out the nullifier Doctor Norman had given her. She prayed it worked, because if it doesn't, then this would be the end for her.

"Doesn't matter" Sentinel said, rearing his body back mid-air and zooming forward towards the ninja.

The ninja thrust the small black box forward, hesitating to press it until the last second. When he was close she slammed down on the button and suddenly the Sentinel fell from the sky tumbling end over end towards the ninja, grunting as his body was dragged through the roof of the building.

Sentinel got up and began staring at his feet in disbelief. His head snapped back when he saw the ninja still holding out the black box and staring at him with equal disbelief. He tried to take advantage of the situation and thrust his hands out to fire some energy bolts but nothing happened, he looked from his right hand to his left in confusion.

The ninja smirked as she leisurely walked right in front of the Sentinel. Sentinel tried to punch her, but found his strength was gone.

"What the jui—" He was interrupted when the ninja back handed him, sending him sprawling. He got up shakily and spat out a blood covered tooth.

"It worked…" The ninja mumbled as she saw Sentinel getting up again. She stared directly at him. "I told you I'd make you feel human"

Sentinel stared down the ninja, with such a ferocity the ninja flinched a little. 'He should be shaking in his pants? But he doesn't look scared?' The ninja thought.

Sentinel was weary, tired and hurt, but he couldn't just give up now. He beat his chest trying to get his adrenaline going again. He yelled a battle cry and charged the ninja, knowing he was at a major disadvantage now. The ninja dodged all of his sloppy punches easily, she then crouched low and swept his feet from under him.

"Stay down, If I wanted it, you'd be dead already" She said, throwing his words right back at him. She lit up her hand with an air fist to intimidate him.

"That's not how I roll" Sentinel said lunging at her. In surprise she blasted him with her airfist, forgetting he was powerless to block it now. She starred in fear and shock as the air fist went right for him.

Instinctively he held out his hands to block, he shut his eyes waiting for the attack to splatter him. But when he cracked an eye open the air fist was gone, he looked at his hands in confusion for they seemed to tingle a little. His eyes widened when he saw his hands were the same glowing blue as the airfist, the blue colour faded and he felt his strength returning to him. He clenched his fist as he realized his absorption was still working. He starred at the ninja who was in equal amounts of shock.

He channeled the energy he had gotten into his legs, the ground at his feet crumbling from the force of the jump he made. The energy he had absorbed made him fast, not as fast as usual, but still fast enough to surprise the ninja. He channeled what was left into his fist and upper-cutted the ninja.

The ninja's suit still protected her from the brunt of the attack but it still stung a little. In an instant she recovered and the Sentinel tried to follow up on his attack, but with no more of her air fist's energy powering him she easily dodged all of his wild strikes, they seemed extremely sloppy and all over the place. She dodged one final one and kicked him back a couple of feet.

"This ends now" She bellowed at him, her tone strong and demanding. She hoped he would have surrendered by now, but it seems like he wasn't going to quit, which she found admirable in a way, but the outcome was clear to her.

"I couldn't agree more" Sentinel spat right back, he held out his hand, the ninja's eyes widened to the size of dinner plates when she saw he was holding the nullifier. She began patting down her pockets, confirming that he had indeed stolen it when he had gotten close to her. She gulped and pulled out her sword.

Sentinel pressed the button and his helmet's visor glowed with cyan light as all his powers returned. Suddenly the air around him was energized as debris lifted off the ground around him, and the ninja swore in that moment he looked like a living hurricane. He barreled through right at her, she yelled in pain as he had knocked her down and flew away from her. As she got back up he changed direction and charged her again knocking her down once more, repeating this process for a while.

He stopped, levitating above her. She held out her swords, her arms nearly giving in. She panted out heavy breaths.

"What are you waiting for?" She spat, defiance still in her voice.

Sentinel's visor blazed in cyan light as he charged up an energy blast, knowing she couldn't dodge this. But his gaze softened when he caught his reflection in the ninja's swords, the way he floated, the way his mouth was twisted in a deep scowl and his visor blazing with energy, he scared himself and he saw that fear reflected in the ninja's eyes. Visions of how brutal he was when fighting the ninja, it played over and over in his mind.

The ninja stood in fear and anticipation, when Sentinel did something that made her eyes bulge. He dropped to the floor on his knees, his eyes powering down and him looking upwards at the stunned ninja. He pulled out the nullifier and activated it once again, shocking the ninja once more.

"You were right" He said, his voice losing all of the force it had before. "I am dangerous, I just proved that here by choosing to fight you"

He threw the nullifier at her and she caught it, staring at it then him in confusion. She raised her swords when she saw Sentinel raise his arms again, but all he did was raise it to his helmet's earpiece.

"But….I don't want to be dangerous" He said, he took a deep breath and pressed the button on his helmet, revealing his face as Randy Cunningham. "But if you really believe that I can't be a good person, then take me away"

* * *

"What the juice did he just do?!" Mcfist yelled at Viceroy.

"I think he just gave up sir" Viceroy said. "This could be a problem, they might resolve their problems and…..oh dear"

"Dangit Viceroy! Where are the Mcforcers!?" MCfist asked angrily, his face turning red. "We need to take him out now!"

Viceroy quickly contacted their soldiers to get an update, his face fell when he was informed of their reason for not being in place yet.

"Sir…" Viceroy said hesitantly.

"What?"

"It seems someone has destroyed all of our vehicles and the Mcforcers are trying to get there on foot" Viceroy answered, preparing to tell his boss the final piece of information. "And….the security cameras seem to show our partner being the one who had destroyed all of our cars…"

"What the juice!?"

* * *

The ninja was in shock, her mind spinning from what she was seeing right now. The person who she had just consoled an hour ago was the person she had tried to beat up. She was in so much shock she stood still, staring at him while he shifted in his kneeling position uncomfortably for what felt like ages.

"Randy…" The ninja said slowly.

Sentinel gulped when he heard the ninja say his name, he was wondering how she was taking all this in, the boy who had pushed Bucky away when he was about to stab her was the same boy she had just fought with.

Suddenly a building near them erupted in a giant explosion, shocking both teens out of their thoughts. They starred in horror as they saw one of the nearby buildings lower level erupt in flames, shattering its stability, the people within screamed in terror as their building began to tilt.

* * *

The black figure clad in a lab coat stood atop a building, holding a detonator that he had just pressed, causing the explosion that had just come from the building next to him.

He starred at the ninja and Sentinel, waiting for them to make their move.

"Show time…." He muttered.

* * *

 **Wooh, done with this chapter, I didn't want to drag out their fight, so I kept it in one chapter, plus fight scenes aren't easy ~_~**

 **Also shout out to XD for predicting some stuff haha, guess im that predicatble.**

 **Anyway please enjoy and leave a review.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Alright here we go!**

 **I'd like to thank all you guys for your encouraging reviews, they really made me happy, i dont deserve u guys**

 **ben10 madness, yesss haha, im super excited for that movie, i mean it oculd still be bad but even if it is the concept is interesting enough to borrow haha**

 **anyway enjoy :D**

* * *

"What are you going to do?!" The ninja heard Randy say for the second time, bringing her out of her shocked state. That was a good question, she couldn't very well save all the people in that building before it fell over. The ninja racked her brain for a solution, but there was only one she could come up with….

The ninja locked eyes with Randy, not Sentinel, Randy. Randy the exuberant easy going kid who helped her make real friends, Randy the boy who saved her life from a rampaging Bucky, Randy the boy who was so scared of not being a good person he considered leaving his home. In a crunching noise the ninja destroyed the nullifier, ripping it in half. Instantly Sentinel felt his power return.

"No, what are _**we**_ going to do" The ninja stated, looking her former opponent in the eye, her eyes weary but determined. Randy was stunned to say the least, his mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water, trying to get a sentence out.

"Look" The ninja stated, voice wavering. "I'm still not….I'm still not sure about you, and I know we were duking out just a few minutes ago and you still might hold a grudge against me, I know that. And my head is all still jumbled up about all of this, but, right now, looking at your face, looking at Randy, I want to believe in you now, that you want to be a hero like you told me you were. Please…..prove it to me right now"

Randy clenched his jaw, steeling his electric blue eyes. He pressed the button on his collapsed helmet, expanding it over his face again, the lower area still broken and showing off his mouth "Let's do it"

"Okay we need to get there fast, can you fly m-AAAAAHHHHHHH!" The ninja let out a scream as she was scooped up off Mcfist industries roof by Sentinel, towards the falling building.

Heidi exhaled sharply when they came to a sudden halt in front of the building, Sentinel descending to the ground and placing the ninja down as well. The structure near the buildings bottom was destroyed, leaving a gaping hole at the side of the building, luckily half of the structures stability still held and kept the building up right for now, for the building was beginning to tilt.

"There are too many people in there" The ninja stated. "Not even both of us together can get them before the thing completely topples"

Sentinel gulped looking at the building, an idea he knew was risky forming in his head, but it was the only thing he could think of. "How about we do what we did when Bucky attacked"

The ninja raised an eyebrow at him.

"You go in and lead everyone up there towards the exit" Sentinel continued. "While I keep the building upright long enough for them to get there"

"You sure you can lift an entire building that long?" The ninja asked sceptically.

"It'd be pushing just a little bit out of my record" Sentinel answered.

"And how heavy is your current record?"

"….about 26 tons or 2 busses"

"WHAT THE JUICE!" The ninja practically screamed, throwing her hands up. "An entire building is a little heavier than 2 honking buses!"

"We don't have time to argue" Sentinel said flying towards the hole in the building and placing the building on his back, he grunted in exertion, his face already forming sweat. "I can do this, now go"

The ninja sighed, but suddenly her eyes turned fierce as she whirled around swords drawn. "Show your selves!"

"Ninja there's no one there" Sentinel said bewildered by the ninjas' actions.

"Yes there is" The ninja said, using her super senses to pick up what sight could not. "I can smell them"

"Greg you wonk!" Said a voice that seemed to come from an empty space on the ground. "Did you forget to bathe again?!"

"No! I definitely did this time!" Another voice answered, Greg probably.

"What the juice?" Randy said, recognizing those voices. Suddenly he remembered that his Sentinel helmet came with a number of features. "Activate, infrared vision"

To sentinel his helmets vision transformed to that of a multiple colors, showing him 6 figures standing in a semi-circle surrounding him and the ninja. All wearing futuristic body suits that Randy deduced Viceroy designed to keep them invisible, he had seen Viceroy do the same for chameleon type robots in the past.

"Who are they?" The ninja asked.

"They're the Mcforcers" Sentinel answered. He turned to look at them now. "What are you guys doing here?"

"Sorry kid, we really are" One of the Mcforcers named Trent said. "But we've been given orders to terminate you"

Randy audibly gasped, his mind spinning, he knew Mcfist turned on him but he didn't think the guy wanted him dead. Randy was still reeling until he heard a familiar voice cut through.

"Cancel that order" Scott said jogging up to them. "Do not shoot Randy"

"At least this one isn't invisible" The ninja said, irritation at the other Mcforcers in her voice.

"Sorry Scott we can't do that" One of the Mcforcers said. Scott, The ninja and Sentinel hearing the Mcforcers guns get cocked. "We have orders, and we have to follow them"

"Even if those orders mean killing a kid?" Scott said, and edge in his voice, not sure where to direct his voice, seeing as he could not see his team. "A kid who you watched grow up? Heck you were all at his 10th birthday for crying out loud?!"

"Scott please don't make this harder than it needs to be, Mcfist says he's dangerous now…and like we said we have our orders" Another Mcforcer cried out, his voice wavering.

"And like I said, do you really think the kid you all helped me raise is capable of killing someone?" Scott pleaded. "Don't listen to your orders for once and listen to your sense of basic morality"

There was an uncomfortable silence for a second, then suddenly they all heard the static of a radio.

"This is strike team leader Trent *KRRCHRKOO* having communication problems *KRTCHCHZOO* communication devices going haywire" Trent said out loud for everyone to hear, making fake static noise with his mouth.

Scott, the ninja and Sentinel heard crunching noises come from different direction, if Scott and the ninja could see the Mcforcers, they would have seen them all destroy their communication devices.

"We are going to get in so much trouble for helping you" Trent said.

"Only if we're found out" added Greg.

The ninja lowered her weapons slightly as Scott heaved a sigh of relief and Randy smiled from ear to ear. Randy's smile faded when he realized despite his efforts the building was still tilting.

"Um guys!" Sentinel said. "We need to get those people out now!"

"The Mcforcers are with you" Scott told the ninja.

The ninja was really against the idea of letting non supers help, but she needed as many extra hands as she could get.

"We are going to spread out to each floor and get everyone out as quickly as possible" The ninja ordered.

Scott nodded and ran inside the building, the invisible Mcforcers following in behind him.

The ninja lingered, looking at Randy and the building, eyes shifting between the two. The ninja noting despite Randy giving it his all the building was still tilting, it wouldn't take long for it to topple completely. The ninja racked her brain for a solution, her face lit up with realization.

"You're not lifting it right" The ninja stated.

"Well excuse me if my lifting isn't up to your standards" Came Sentinel's retort.

"The way you're lifting it is pretty much you fighting physics" The replied, ignoring the Sentinels sass. "That building is gonna fall and where you're lifting it isn't helping, you have to lift there towards the top, so now most of the weight will be on the lower section and gravity won't be working against you as much"

"Ohh…"Sentinel replied, unsure if what she was saying was true. The only thing he knew about physics was that gravity was a force…or was it a law? He really needed to start paying attention in class.

Sentinel nodded and the ninja nodded right back before sprinting into the building to help the scared and panicking civilians trapped within.

Sentinel flew higher making sure his hands never left the building, continuing to push with all his strength. As he climbed he did find the weight not as unbearable as before, he could still feel the building pushing back and he knew he couldn't keep it up forever and only slow its descent, but at least now the ninja and the Mcforcers would have more time.

"Very impressive" Sentinel heard a voice in front of him. His eyes lit up when he realized who had spoken.

"You!" Sentinel snarled at the person who had started this whole thing, the man in the black lab coat.

"Me!" black clothed villain mocked with fake enthusiasm coming out of the voice box on his chest, he hovered, standing on a force field disc to be able to converse with Randy, face to face, well mask to helmet at least.

"I'm assuming you want to strangle me right now? But that'd be pretty difficult considering you're the only thing keeping this sky scrapper from falling" Continued the black clad figure.

Randy's response was igniting his eye in a cyan glow of raw energy, intending to simply blast the dark clothed man out of the sky, no hands necessary.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk" The man in the black mask chastised, wagging his finger side to side at Randy and pulling out a familiar object.

Randy grit his teeth when he saw the black clad figure holding the exact same black box that the ninja possessed, well not "exact" because the ninja had destroyed hers.

"This baby pretty much makes sure your powers are useless, well not all of them, despite it being hardwired to your DNA your absorption still seems to work, which is honestly quite a shocker for me, but that powers always been special, but other than that you lose your strength, so when I turn this bad boy on you drop that building" The figure explained.

"So you're the one who gave—"

"The ninja one too. But to be fair I was in disguise"

Randy powered down his eyes and sighed in frustration.

"Ha! That's what happens when you try to be a hero" The black mask mocked. "You have to look out for everybody instead of just the important people"

Randy threw a blood curdling glare at the man, wishing he could just vaporize the guy right there.

The black clad figure rose up and placed a hand on the side of the building, he began hovering to the side tracing his hand around the four walls of the building, as if admiring them. All the while Randy continued to exert his best effort to keep the building up, despite giving it his all, slowly but surely the building was pushing down and Randy was descending little by little. After a few minutes the black masked man had circled the entire building and had returned to face Randy.

"Like I said, really impressive" He stated looking at the building then to Randy. "What was your former record?"

"26 tons" Randy answered without thinking.

"Look at this" The black clad figure replied, arms stretched towards the building. "This is much more than 26 tons. You, your powers are constantly evolving, it's really something, but do you know why?"

Randy refused to answer and continued to give a baleful glare. Trying to bore a hole through the man with his stare, well he could, he just couldn't risk it.

"Stress" The figure stated, matter-of-factly.

"Stress can push anyone to hone their skill in the most dangerous of circumstances" He continued. "And our powers are no different from skills, they need practice and work, so I hypothesize that when they're pushed to the limit they start to tap into their full potential"

"And why should I care?" Randy asked.

"You should care because it affects everything" The figure replied, his body language tense. "Like right now you went from being able to lift a couple of cars to lifting a building, even now your levitation has also evolved, the laws of physics state that even if u held up this building it should be collapsing inwardly from its own weight and gravity but your flight works by creating your own gravity field around your body and the stress of this situation forced your gravity field to expand and encompass this entire building allowing it to not crumble at your hands, the same applies to when you were dying and your regeneration activated"

"Blah-blah, I get it, you're a nerd" Randy remarked.

Randy couldn't see it but he was sure the man was rolling his eyes beneath his mask.

"Look at you, you're so undeserving" The figure said, in an insulting tone. "You're different you've always been different ever since we first met, but you still don't deserve any of this"

"Oh, so you're saying I don't deserve a wonking shoob trying to kill me?" Randy countered. "I guess we can agree on that"

"I'm not trying to kill you, I need you" The fiend said, clenching his held out fist.

"Is this the part where you try and get me to join the darkside?"

"HA! Don't overestimate yourself. I don't need **you** , I need your blood, your power. It's why I went through the trouble of setting this all up"

"What's your endgame?" Randy asked, still descending little by little, the building almost horizontally levelled.

"God you're thick headed" The figure let out a sigh. "Weren't you listening? I need your power! It's why I did all of this! It's why I tricked you into getting angry and fighting recklessly! It's why I set up my own death at your hands, why I got the public to hate you! It's why I got you to fight the ninja!"

"To get me stressed….." Randy said, his eyes looking downwards in realization.

"Now you're getting it!" The dark clothed man said, an evil enthusiasm in his voice. "I forced your powers to the limit, I needed your newest one to be completely active and mature, and with the stress of a literal entire building on top of you I'd be surprised if it wasn't"

Randy deduced he was talking about regeneration considering it was his newest power. Randy winced when he saw the black clad figure pull out of his lab coat what looked like what if a gun had a baby with a six inch nail, on the back was an empty tube.

"I assume that's for getting my blood?" Randy stated, dreading when the moment the large needle would pierce his body.

"Great detective work batman" The black clad figure replied sarcastically.

"Technically I'd be more of a superman wouldn't I?" Randy replied, half stalling, half actually contemplating the question in his head. "I mean with all the powers and stuff, and the ninja would be batman because she has the, y'know, gadgets and stealth thing"

The figure snorted out loud. "The ninja has been on hundreds of videos and works during the day with a crowd usually formed to watch, anyone who thinks the ninja is stealthy is an idiot"

Randy realized that all this guy wanted was his blood not Randy, what would happen to Randy when he got what he wanted?

"Once you get my blood I guess you're going to kill me" Randy stated, pursing his lips.

"Well I'm not going to kill you" The black clad figure replied, gaining a confused look from Randy. "The Mcforcers will, whenever they get here. Shame your new buddy the ninja can't come to save you, but she's probably busy rescuing all those people in this here building"

It took all of Randy's self-restraint not to burst out in a full on 'I-know-more-than-you-ya-idiot-'grin. 'He doesn't know!' Randy mentally cheered at the fact this villain had no idea that not only had the Mcforcers already arrived invisibly, but they had disobeyed orders and are helping the ninja evacuate.

The building continued to lower, now being totally horizontally levelled. Randy grunted in frustration knowing he was running out of time, he hoped with every fibre of his being that the evacuation was almost over.

"If the Mcforcers don't get you, the building probably will, so I better get a move on myself. Now this is going to sting" The black clad figure stated hovering closer, holding the torture-esque looking needle gun towards Randy. "A lot"

"Not as much as this" The man spun around just in time to see a black fist slam into his face, knocking him off his force field disc. There the ninja stood upside down on the building, having just knocked the black lab coat wearing villain's block off.

As the figure fell the ninja sauntered over to Sentinel, Sentinel took note of the foot spikes on the soles of the ninja's shoes.

"That won't keep em down for long" The ninja stated, true to her word the black clad figure was already on a new force field disc ascending upwards slowly.

As he levelled with the ninja and Sentinel he rubbed his sore jaw. "How long have you been there?"

"Long enough to get this" The ninja shot back, a smug grin on her mask. She placed her fingers on the side of her ear, a 'click' sound came from it. "Weren't you listening? I need your power! It's why I did all of this! It's why I set up my own death at your hands, why I got the public to hate you! It's why I got you to fight the ninja" The black clothed villain's speech played out of the ear piece for them to hear, the villain mentioned glared at the ninja.

"And you said I had no stealth, now who's the idiot?" The ninja remarked.

"And how'd you know I was here?" The figure asked.

The ninja jutted her thumb back, pointing at Sentinel. "This guy might have compared himself to superman, but **I've** got the super senses not him. Heard you a mile away"

"What about—"Sentinel was about to ask when the ninja interrupted him.

"Your boys are pretty well organized and efficient" The ninja answered. "Most of the civilians are already out, they're already at the bottom waiting for the ambulances and cops to come escort em away from this danger zone"

The black clad figure seethed, his hard breathing could be heard from the voice box on his chest. He clenched and unclenched his fist, trembling slightly.

"Don't tell me you're mad?" The ninja mocked, slipping her hand behind her back stealthily. "Not used to your plans going awry?"

The figure clenched his fist one last time, the ninja caught the slight movement and knew it was on. Like a whip, the arm behind her back flashed outward towards the figure throwing five deadly sharp ninja rings at him. The figure's hand jutted out in front of him instantly, using his telekinesis to stop them mid-air and send them back towards their owner. The ninja disabled her foot spikes, letting gravity take her, she fell just in time to dodge the ninja rings, throwing her scarf at a windowsill she used her momentum to swing towards her opponent.

Sentinel's eyes widened when he realized the ninja rings were now coming for him, he closed his eyes waiting to be pierced, but felt nothing. Cracking his eyes open he was they had all suddenly changed direction away from him, searching for the reason why, he saw the black clad figure holding at his arms, directing the sharp blades away from Sentinel. This was all a moment before the ninja's feet collided with the figures body, once again he fell off his force field disc, but his reaction time for making a new one was faster than last time. Randy stared in confusion at this, the villain had given up the opportunity to dodge the ninjas attack to save him.

After her kick the ninja used her swings momentum to connect with the building, engaging her foot spikes again. She stood up, upside down again, and rushed the black clad figure with a series of punches and kicks. It was an odd sight, the ninja fighting upside down while her opponent remained right side up, despite the ninja's odd fighting area she held the upper hand, seeing as she was a better hand-to-hand combatant.

"Enough!" The figure yelled, after getting punched the nth time. He held out his hands, using his telekinesis to hold the ninjas extremities down, removing her most dangerous weapons at the moment, her limbs. He moved his arm slowly upwards, his fingers tightening. Instantly the ninja felt the hold on her limbs disappear, but there was no relief because she felt the telekinetic grip focus on another spot, her scarf crinkling into the shape of a hand until it was pressed against her throat, she felt her neck being gripped tightly, air failing to get to her lungs. She begun sputtering and choking.

The fiend lazily dragged her through the air, until the ninja was now in front of Sentinel, giving him a front row seat to her suffocation.

"Take a good long look" The black clad figure said, Sentinel stomach twisting in horror as he saw the ninjas face change color. "This is what happens to people who get in my way!"

Sentinel's slack jaw hung slightly agape, wanting nothing more than to help the ninja. Just as he was about to scream at the man to stop, his helmet's comm. device came to life.

"Randy, we're out" Sentinel heard Scott's voice on the other end say over the radio waves. "Everyone's out and safe, we're in the ambulances right now"

Sentinel spun his head to the side to see a number of cars speeding away from the building he was holding up, he was now free to help the ninja, and he knew just the way to do it. He screamed with all his might and exertion, catching the ninja and black clad figure by surprise, he put all his strength into his arms and threw the building a few feet up. It hovered in the air for a second before it came sailing down once again.

The black clad figure was so shocked he released his grip on the ninja. Sentinel was already behind the ninja, grabbing her in a tight hug before gravity pulled her down, except he just floated there instead of getting out of the falling building path.

"What are you doing?!" The ninja coughed, her senses and throat on fire.

"Trust me" Sentinel replied, not breaking eye contact with the black clothed villain. The villain himself hovered there, glaring at Sentinel with an intense ferocity. The ninja closed her eyes, awaiting the impact.

The ninja made a slight yelp as she felt her and the Sentinel's body rapidly descend, all around her she heard the devastation and the crash of the building, but oddly she didn't feel the intense pain of being crushed. She cracked an eye open and looked around, she definitely saw the rubble and the dust, but none of it was around her, the rubble and dust never crossed a circular line that was around her, Sentinel and their opponent, also everything was tinted red. The black clad figure stood there body rigged, both arms and hands stretched outwards, maintaining a force field big enough to protect all three of them and strong enough to withstand a building, his arms fell as his body nearly crumpled, the force field falling around them.

"What? Why would he….."The ninja said.

"He doesn't have my blood yet, so he still needs me alive" Sentinel answered. "Realized that early when he didn't let your ninja rings touch me"

"And what if he wasn't strong enough to block the building?"

"Oh shoot….forgot about that…"

"Are you honking kidding me?! We could have died!"

"Relax it worked didn't it" Sentinel said, raising his palms in defence. "Plus he's looks pretty beat from making a force field strong enough to block a building, so that's a bonus"

Their argument was broken up when the villain in question began laughing, a spiteful angry laugh came from their opponents' throat. He stood there, body trembling from both exhaustion and laughter.

"It just isn't my day" He spat. "I'll give you guys some credit, the building, the getting my confession, all good plans"

He stomped his foot down, his fist at his side. Even through his black masks' fabric his eyes burned with a bright red light. "But none of it's gonna matter when you're dead!"

Sentinel's own eyes and hands lit up with cyan lights, he stood up straight chest out, fist clenched, making himself as big as possible, intimidating and ready to throw down. The ninja pulled out to batons that connected and extended transforming into a bo staff, spinning the staff and positioning it behind her, her other hand held out in front of her, purpose in her stance and ready to strike.

"Then let's go" Sentinel said.

Around the black clad figure hundreds of baseball sized force field bubbles appeared, with a flick of his wrists they all came hurtling towards the duo with the speed of a bullet. But the ninja was faster, she threw down a smoke bomb, concealing her and the Sentinel, however the smoke cleared instantly with Sentinel flying through it full throttle, the force fields shattering against the Sentinels skin, if they caused him any pain he didn't show it, as he flew he let out a scream and a blast of energy from his eyes.

The column of energy struck the villain just as he erected a force field around himself. The blast had sent him hurtling backwards, he turned his head and behind him he saw the ninja a few feet away, the smoke having concealed her journey towards his rear, she readied her staff like a baseball bat. The second the bubble was just a few inches away, she swung with so much power she would have been banned from baseball in every country on earth. She destroyed his protective bubble with an earth shattering blow.

The black clad figure skidded harshly on the ground, as the ninja tossed aside her now broken in half bo staff. The figure looked to his right seeing Sentinel still flying towards him, looking to his left the ninja began a sprint towards him as well. He threw his arms together in an X in front of his chest, as the ninja and Sentinel reached him he threw his arms apart and screamed, unleashing a giant force field bubble that expanded pushing everything away from him, including our two heroes, it faded after it reached its peak.

As Sentinel tumbled backwards he dug his fingers into the ground below to stop himself, the ninja doing the same except with her foot and hand spikes.

"New tactic" The dark clothed fiend said, raising both his hands to his temples

Sentinel was about to yell a warning when he felt the familiar sensation of his mind coming under siege, a telepathic attack. Both the ninja and Sentinel crumpled, feeling like a battling ram was being used on their brains.

The ninja dug deep into her memories, remembering all the times the nomicon had forcibly yanked her mind from her body, all the training her mind did in the nomicon, this was nothing compared to what that 800 year old book could do to her. She closed her eyes and stood slowly, breathing steady and calm, suddenly she opened her eyes which burned red, the whites of her eyes and the skin between turning pitch black, her suits black and red color scheme switching. She crouched low, she received a confused and fearful look from her opponent, and she put all her strength into her legs as she pushed herself towards the man in black, shooting flames from her heels to propel herself even faster. In an instant she was already in front of him, he had no time to register what was happening.

"I figured out your secret" The ninja said right before delivering a mighty punch to the figure's face, sending him flying.

As he flew backwards, a blur of red passed by him, there the ninja was already waiting, her hands cupped together. "All your powers are long range" She said before swinging her cupped hands at him, sending him flying once again.

This time he created a small force field bubble around himself, the size of the bubble forced his to hug his knees, too weak to make a bigger one. The ninja was upon him in an instant.

"That mean you suck at fighting close up and personal" She huffed as she began pounding the bubble with her fists, she stopped then held out her hand in front of it, letting out a continuous stream of red hot fire. "Unfortunately for you and fortunately for me, that's what I'm bruce at"

She might have been talking big but the truth was the ninja was in a pinch. While ninja rage increased her strength, speed, battle prowess and gave her mastery over fire, it also came at a toll on her body. Ninja rage was only meant to be used for a short moment to end fights quickly, drawing it out longer than she had to put a huge strain on her, plus she was never very good at maintaining ninja rage to begin with. But she could see it, the villain while protected from the fire was still feeling the heat, she began to hope, but of course as soon as she did things went wrong.

Her ninja rage shut off like a candle being blown out, and her body suddenly felt very sluggish and heavy. All the while she kept muttering "no no no", her opponents force field deactivated and he shot his hand out grabbing the weakened ninja's throat, once again trying to choke her, only difference this time was he was doing it personally.

"You shouldn't have done that, I hate fire" He snarled, he watched the life drain from the ninjas eyes, a memory occurring to him. "Y'know, I used to be a fan of yours, but now, now I know you're old news ninja, a relic, you're not the toughest thing on the block anymore. The time of the ninja is over, this is the age of gods, you're nothing, and you have nothing"

A strong grip grabbed the figures arm, he snapped his head to see Sentinel standing there, his other hand on the black clad figures abdomen.

"She doesn't have nothing" Sentinel breathed out heavily, still reeling from that telepathic attack. "She has me"

The hand on the villains' abdomen lit up and in a flash of light an energy bolt blasted the man in black a couple of feet away.

Sentinel helped the ninja who had been dropped by their opponent. As he slung her arm around his shoulder a sick realization came to him. He was too disoriented to hold back his powers when he blasted the black clad figure, he and the ninja spun their heads to see the man lying on the ground motionless, their fears were put to rest when a new one took over.

Like a possessed man the figure rose off the ground, using his telekinesis to bring himself up, he stood up straight only momentarily before crumpling, his hand flying to where he was shot, a bloody hole now there. He raised his head, throwing a glare at the two heroes, startling them. They saw hatred in his eye, not the impression of an eye over his mask, his real eye. 1/4 th of his mask had been torn, revealing the skin from the right side of his scalp to his eyes. From the skin they could see they saw his face was littered with scars, the color in his pupil was so faded it could have blended in with the whites of his eyes. They heard a crackling sounds coming from his now partly destroyed voice box on his chest.

He removed his hand from his wound and suddenly it began to heal, the hole closing up, strangely it didn't completely heal, as if it couldn't finish the job. Only part of the pain was gone, but it was still there, as the figures hand once again rose to hold his wounded side.

The villain and two heroes stared each other down, all breathing heavy.

"This isn't over..." The black clad figure said.

The ninja only glared, while Sentinel scowled at him. "Yeah yeah, this isn't over, you'll be back, classic villain speech blah blah blah" Sentinel taunted.

"Exactly, this'll never be over, not while I still breathe" The figure spat, his voice box sometimes interrupting his speech with static, ignoring Sentinel's sarcasm. "I will keep *chchhhh* coming after you again and again until I have taken back what's *chcccchh* mine"

Suddenly small force fields appeared around the black clad figure and began rotating extremely fast, kicking up the dust from the rubble around them. The ninja and Sentinel covered their eyes as the dust enveloped the entire area, hiding everything from sight, once it settled their opponent was gone.

"Ugh, he copied my smoke bomb bit" The ninja said, indignation in her voice. "I should sue"

"You don't own 'smoke bombing away' y'know?" Sentinel shot back. "Anyway is he gone?"

The ninja closed her eyes and focused on her super senses. "His scent is getting further away, yeah he's gone"

"I might still be able to catch up with hi—" Sentinel was about to say as he let go of the ninja, as soon as he did he fell to the ground the exhaustion from everything that happened tonight finally setting in. Try as he might he might he could not lift himself off the ground.

The ninja lowered herself and laid next to him. "Easy cowboy, we're both pretty beat, let's just rest, we'll get him next time" She mused, she then nudged him with her arm, and pointed at the sky with her chin. "Check it, the suns coming up"

Sentinel looked towards the sky and indeed saw that big'ol star begin to rise. As sore as his body was he had to admit he felt pretty good right now. He flipped so he was now lying on his back right next to the ninja. His mouth clenched as he thought about something, he reached into his pocket and put something in the ninja's hand.

The ninjas brow raised in surprise when she saw what it was, a familiar black box with a red button on the top.

"Another nullifier…where did you?" she asked.

"Lab coat guy must have dropped it when we were kicking his butt" Sentinel answered. "I found it on the ground when you were doing your fire thing, which was awesome by the way. I meant it you know….what I said earlier, I agree with you when you say I'm dangerous, that's why if I ever turn, I want you to have this so you can stop me"

The ninja cocked her head to the right slightly, then sighed with a slight smile on her face. She rose up off the ground and put the device in her belt/sash, she then extended a hand towards Sentinel.

"Come on get up" She said. "I can hear the reporter's cars coming here already, and I really don't want to answer any questions right now. I will leave them our lab coated losers confession though, to you know, clear your name"

"Alright then" Sentinel said, taking her hand and rising, a grin on his face.

"Oh and starting tomorrow, I'm gonna start training you" The ninja said, her mask hiding her smirk.

"What!?" Sentinel said, letting go of the ninja's hand. "Why?! I don't need training!"

"Please, you're reckless, you have no finesse, you let your emotions get the better of you and you're fighting style is just you hitting things as hard as you can, should I go on?" She stated, listing off his flaws. "You said you didn't want to be dangerous, so this is me helping you with that"

"I didn't ask for your help" Sentinel retorted. "Don't do me any favours"

"Can you honestly say you have this hero thing 100% down?" She said, her voice and eyes serious.

Sentinel looked like he was about to give another retort, when he looked down in thought for a moment, a smile spreading on his face. "Alright, deal" He said holding out his hand to shake.

The ninja raised an eyebrow, thinking she'd have to do a little more arguing than this, hesitantly she shook his hand. "Why the sudden change in 'tude?"

"Because the fact you want to train me one on one means you finally trust me" Sentinel said proudly.

The ninja's eyes darted to the side. "Yeah sure…."

"Oh my cheese, you still don't trust me!" Sentinel complained. "After everything we've been through"

"Oh no no no, I do trust you want to be a hero, I just don't trust you're training" The ninja said defensively. "It's obvious Mcfist has only taught you how to be a weapon, I'm gonna teach you how to be a hero"

Sentinel sighed. "Well it's a start. Look at us, can you believe an hour ago we were punching each other's brains out, now we're here shaking hands, if that isn't the foundation to a great friendship then I don't know what is"

"Yeah yeah" The ninja said rolling her eyes, she suddenly looked downcast and mumbled something inaudible.

"What?" Sentinel asked, his eyebrow raised.

"I said….sorry for trying to take you down, without hearing your side of the story first" She said a little louder now, she looked up to see Sentinel's face spread in an annoying grin.

"Can you repeat that?" Sentinel said getting close, his cell phone out. "I want to make 'the ninja apologizes to me' my new ringtone"

"Don't push it" She said playfully shoving him away. She then yawned. "I don't know about you but I need to sleep"

"Samezies" Sentinel said, stretching. "Time to catch some Z's. Look forward to working with you ninja"

"You too…Randy" The ninja said nodding.

Sentinel nodded back and crouched low, the dirt around him began levitating, and suddenly he shot up into the sky. A low whistle came from him which turned into a huge boom, signalling he just broke the sound barrier.

"Show off" The ninja said shaking her head.

{~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~}

"Well that happened" Mcfist said, staring awkwardly at the video screen located at their safe house.

"It certainly did" Viceroy agreed.

Suddenly they heard the mechanical door 'woosh' open, their black clad partner came stumbling in.

"You've got a lot of nerve coming back here!" Mcfist said, face red from anger. "Look what you did! They've practically teamed up now! They're a dynamic duo! A world's finest! A terrible twosome! This is all your fault!"

"Shut up!" The dark lab coat wearing villain snapped, causing Mcfist to jump in the air startled and land in Viceroys arms. "Don't act like all of this is my fault! If you're Mcforcers did their job those two would be dead by now, and how come you didn't tell me they had camouflage tech?!"

"How come you didn't tell us you were going to blow up a building and destroy all our cars?!" Mcfist countered in one of those rare moments where he had a point.

The black clad figure had no retort and like a child, he roared in anger and flipped one of the tables. He began cursing and crushing the fallen contents of the table with his feet, all the while Mcfist and Viceroy watched.

"And I thought I had anger problems" Mcfist whispered to Viceroy.

"So what do we do now?" Viceroy asked the man in black.

" **We** aren't going to do anything, our partnership is terminated starting now" The figure replied, grabbing a duffel bag and opening it, dumping his chemicals and papers that he had stored there in Mcfists safe house into it. " **I'm** going into hiding, I need to re-strategize"

"So you just end our deal and expect us to let you go out that door scott-free?" Mcfist said, his voice angry and demanding, getting off of Viceroys arms. "What makes you think I'll let you? After everything you've done?"

"Because I am a man of my word, Mcfist" The figure replied, throwing something at Mcfist, which he caught.

In Mcfist's hands were a bottle of pills all bright yellow, he stared at it in confusion for a while until it hit him. "Are these?"

"Take them twice a day and your powers will begin to manifest within 1 or 2 weeks give or take" The black clad figure answered, continuing to stuff his things into his bag.

"Oh my cheese Viceroy!" Mcfist said like a giddy child who had been given a Christmas present. "This is incredible!"

"Yes it is sir…." Viceroy said throwing an uneasy glance at the bottle of pills then to their former partner.

Viceroy walked up slowly to the man in black, noticing that he was also 'taking' some of the science equipment Mcfist had provided for him, well stealing more like, but Viceroy chose to say nothing in fear of being on the receiving end of another of this man's tantrums. "Are there any side effects we should know about?"

"The juice if I know" The black clad figure answered in a huff. "Like I've said, I've never tried giving anyone 5 powers before, the most I've ever done is 3. But he should be fine if he has a strong will"

Viceroy looked at Mcfist with another uneasy look, seeing Mcfist cradle the bottle of pills like smeagol holds the ring from lord of the rings.

"Oh lighten up V-diggity" Mcfist said, walking up to Viceroy, he slung an arm over Viceroy's shoulder and held out the bottle of pills to the light, as if he were admiring a piece of fine jewelry. "Everything's gonna change….now that I've got these"

"Right…" Viceroy said, gulping down his fear. He didn't know just how right Mcfist was.

 **Woooooh and with this the first arc is officially donezo *throws confetti* I hope you all liked it, next arc we're gonna focus more on relationships and the secret of the Cunningham's demise. Also this is totally the last time Randy and Heidi fight, totally haha…ha?**

 **Leave a review and let me know what u think :D**


	9. Chapter 9

**Mhmmmm first chapter in the new arc haha**

 **Glad a bunch u guys enjoyed those batman and superman references haha**

 **Gonna have to warn u, after the fast paced action from the last chapter I wanted to slow down for this one, so its kinda fillerish, there isn't much action in this one, yeah sorry bout that…..**

 **Here we go**

* * *

"You know…" The ninja said, her arms crossed and her foot tapping the ground impatiently. "When I said 'I'll start training you tomorrow' I mean tomorrow not the day after!"

"Chill my ninja" Sentinel said, landing on the ground in front of her. Briefly glancing around the woodland area the ninja had chosen as their training grounds. "I was busy doing important stuff"

"Yeah right" The ninja retorted, her face scrunched up in a scowl. "You were home the entire day playing video games in your room. You didn't even go to school you shoob, heck you didn't even go to school today"

"Wha-?" Sentinel jumped slightly, his face one of confusion. "How did you know that?"

"I'm the ninja, I have my ways" She replied, a mischievous grin underneath her mask. Her _way_ actually involved her simply seeing Randy from across her bedroom window, just lounging around in his own room.

"Whatever, I needed a day off OK?" Sentinel shot back.

"And that's rule number 1, heroes don't get a day off" The ninja countered, to which Sentinel only rolled his eyes. "Though the ninja does, according to the nomicon" She inaudibly mumbled that last part.

"But whatever, it's fine" The ninja continued, waving him off. "It gave me time to work on your training regimen"

"Oh wonk me sideways" Sentinel whined, slouching his entire body to emphasize how lazy he felt. "That sounds like hard work, and I want no part of it"

"Well suck it up" The ninja replied. "Besides its not physical stuff, you've got power down, it's the finer details you need to work on"

"Like?" Sentinel asked, standing up straight again.

"Power control" The ninja said, pointing towards the trees. On the branches in front of the trunk, hung scarecrows each with a target on their chests. Sentinel walked up to them admiring the ninja's craftsmanship and wondering how they would factor into his training to be a quote, _True hero_.

"Hit the targets, BUT, you cannot blast a hole through them" The ninja said, explaining his trainings circumstances. "They have a slab of rock in their chests, under that is some good'ol flammable hay, you have to knock them off the branch without destroying the slab underneath and burning their tender insides"

"O-okay no big deal" Sentinel said, swallowing shakily. "Just let me stretch and get limbered up"

The truth was Sentinel was never taught control of his powers, Mcfist had always encouraged him to not hold back, plus Scott and the other Mcforcers liked it when he blew stuff up, so that kind of rubbed off on him. He slowly stretched his limbs, earning an eye roll from his teacher.

"Just do it already!" The ninja yelled impatiently, after five minutes of watching the boy's body flex and turn.

"Alright, alright, sheesh" Sentinel replied, getting into position.

Sentinel held out his hand, he did what he normally did when he used his powers, he focused on his memories, or the lack thereof. Pain of not knowing, it's what he used to call the energy within himself out, for an entire month was missing from his memories, arguably the most important month, when his parents died, he used that to channel a burning sensation from his core down to his palm. He snapped his eyes open as he released.

It happened in an instant, the dummy and the tree were vaporized, as was the tree after that and the one after that and so on. Sentinel put on a nervous grin as he turned slowly to face the ninja, whose eyebrow was raised.

"You know I said _not_ to obliterate the dummies right? I mean I really don't want to imagine what poor stanked shoob is going to be at the receiving end of that" The ninja remarked. "Now try lowering the blastige just a smidgin"

"OK, can I try without the sass please?" Sentinel asked, raising his arms in defence.

"Go ahead" The ninja replied.

He did the same this time, but instead he used simple force of will to bring out his power. The result was…the polar opposite. Instead of total annihilation, all the energy bolt did was pang lightly off the dummy and fizzle out once it hit the ground.

"Wow, it really is all or nothing with you isn't it?" the ninja asked, getting a sheepish grin in return. "Fine, hope you brought snacks because we're going to do this all day if we have to"

* * *

Scott walked briskly down Mcfist industries hallway, planning to face the music, music that sounded a lot like yelling. As he looked around he saw robo-apes cleaning up and repairing the area damaged by Sentinel and the ninjas showdown, but he only lingered a moment for he had arrived at his destination. Mcfist's office.

"—OW DARE YOU DISOBEY ORDERS!" Scott heard Mcfist finish yelling at the strike that had been dispatched to terminate Randy as he entered. All head turned to him, Scott seeing Trent's stoic but sweaty face, and Greg looking about ready to cry, the other Mcforcers who chose to listen to Scott on that day also looked equally scared and nervous.

Scott inhaled deeply, preparing himself for what he was about to say. "Sir, I take full responsibility for the strike teams' action. I was the one who convinced them to drop orders, sir"

"YOU WHAT!?" Mcfist practically screamed, he pointed his robotic finger at the door then looked directly at the strike team. "OUT!"

"Good luck Scott" Trent whispered as he and his team left, Scott only nodding in acknowledgement.

Scott stood up straight, hands behind his back, face stoic and facing forward, looking like a proper soldier, but he felt more like a bug about to be squished by a boot, a very red faced boot.

"YOU DISSAPEAR FOR DAYS! AND THEN YOU COME BACK AND CAUSE A MUTINY?!" Mcfist accusingly bellowed, jabbing one of his big fingers on Scott's chest.

"As team leader I saw a better option, sir" Scott answered refusing to let his fear show on his face.

"IT'S NOT ABOUT BETTER OPTIONS ELINOFF!" Scott cringed at Mcfist's use of his last name.

"IT'S ABOUT YOU DOING WHAT I TELL YOU TO DO WHEN I TELL YOU TO DO SOMETHING!" Mcfist said beginning to walk away.

"Even when it means killing a child?...sir" Scott asked, his temper rising.

"If those are the orders I gave then yes" Mcfist said coming down from his rage. "You do what you're told, no questions asked"

"I'm a soldier not a robot!" Scott said stepping out of his straight stance, scowling at Mcfist. His hands nearly shot up to his mouth, he always followed orders or at the very least respected his superiors, that's what being a soldier meant to him. Even the awkward robo-apes in the room gasped. Instantly he straightened out again. "I apologize sir"

"How dare you Elinoff!" Mcfist yelled getting up in Scott's face. "Get your attitude back in line or so help me you're out of here!"

"I apologize again sir" Scott said, looking at the ground his mind in a whirlwind of confusion. What's worse is that if Scott we're to be fired, custody of Randy would probably fall back to Mcfist and Viceroy, and Scott did not want that.

Mcfist sighed and rubbed his forehead with his fingers. "Scott, last I remembered I saved your life, you remember that right?"

Scott continued to look down.

"There you were in a ditch, dying, you and your mercenaries team were sent to off me, but they wonked up and failed so they figured it would be best to cut their losses and ditch you because you were injured and slowing them down" Mcfist continued, Scott closing his eyes, recalling that moment. "I found you, I could have killed you, you know? But I didn't, because I'm generous Scott"

Scott wanted to roll his eyes very much right now, but he couldn't.

"Because I'm generous Scott, I'm even going to let you keep your job because you're still useful to me" Mcfist continued. "But disobey me again and you're out of here! Gone! Done for!"

"Thank you sir, I was just trying to protect Randy, he is a valuable asset" Scott thanked, even though it made him sort of sick inside.

"Yeah yeah, you can go now Scott" Scott nodded and began to leave. "Oh and Scott" Scott turned. "He's not as valuable as you think, well at least not anymore"

Scott wanted to ask but he saw Mcfist had already turned and was staring out his window, signalling he didn't wish to talk anymore. Scott didn't know why, but he was getting a bad feeling about this.

* * *

"I think *huff* I've *got* it this time" Randy said, panting. His body slick with sweat. He looked towards the sky and saw how late it was, he sighed when he saw the ninja just sitting on a stump with her eyes closed and a book on her lap, when he asked she refused to answer and told him to keep trying to control his power output while she "read" her book. So far he had either totally incinerated the dummy and a chunk of the forest behind or he hadn't even caused it to sway slightly.

"One more" He said concentrating hard. He felt it, yes he was going to do it this ti-wait no too much power again, and half the forest is gone, damn.

Just then the ninja got out of whatever trance she was currently in, she yawned and stretched, sauntering over to Randy. She shook her head at the forest and the fruits of the training she had devised.

"Welp, guess we'll call it a night" The ninja said.

"Morning"

"What?"

"Morning, it's 2 in the morning, you told me not to go until I got this down"

Now that the ninja looked, she could see Randy was clearly exhausted, woops. She felt bad for energy while he was burned out, while her mind was in the nomicon her body was technically in sleep mode.

"Well, we'll pick this up again tomorrow" She said, causing Sentinel to sigh in relief. He gave a half-hearted wave of goodbye, turning and flying off so fast he didn't even check to see if she waved back.

Heidi sighed as well, earlier she had texted Howard to cover for her with a recording of her snoring to fool her parents (She prayed he used the snoring audio and not the sleep fart one).

She picked up the nomicon again and opened its dull yellow pages. "Okay nomicon, just one more hour of training"

The nomicon buzzed in protest.

"I know I said that an hour ago, and the hour after that. But another round is all, just one more"

Without another word she was shloomped inside.

* * *

]

"Mr. Cunningham!" Mrs Driscoll scolded loudly. "You are absent for 2 days, and when you are here you decide to sleep through my class!"

"You're in a skele-TON of trouble young man" Mr Driscoll said, well with the help of his wife's lips and voice.

"Not now jerry" Mrs Driscoll said, slapping Jerry on the shoulder lightly. "Now Mr Cunningham you need to stay awa—YOU'RE SLEEPING RIGHT NOW!"

Randy jolted awake, somehow having fallen asleep standing straight up. He looked dazed for a second then realized what was happening. "I-uh, um—"

"R-R-R-RING!" The school bell rang, signalling lunch had begun. Randy sighed.

"SorryMrsDriscollWon'tHappenAgainByeeeee" Randy said in one word grabbing Howard and leaving the room in a rush, only to fall asleep in the middle of his jog and come tumbling down with Howard in tow. Howard got up and dusted himself of, promptly grabbed Randys' sleeping figure by his hoodie and dragged him to the cafeteria.

Heidi Weinerman shloomped out of her book, she had decided to use the girls' bathroom to shloomp in and do some extra training in the mystic book. The only reason she stopped was because the nomicon had told her that her body needed nourishment, reluctantly she listened to the wise old book.

She exited the bathroom and made her way towards the cafeteria, as she entered she noticed the form of her sort-of-student, Randy Cunningham. He sat with Howard dozing off nearly falling into his lunch tray, which Howard was taking bites of said lunch while talking away to a very sleepy Randy.

Stealthily, Heidi strategically seated herself behind the two boys, it was a skill she had learned even before she became the ninja. Having been a gossip she had to learn to blend in and eavesdrop without anyone noticing, despite Heidi's fame and ability to get all eyes on her she was just so good she could pull it off.

"C'mon Cunningham stop dozing off" Howard demanded, jabbing Randy's lunch with his fork. "How am I gonna brag about beating you at grave punchers if you aren't even awake to hear it?"

"I only lost because I was tired OK" Randy answered, only half awake. Heidi rolled her eyes at the two boys' choice of discussion, her curiosity led her to believe that they might have had something interesting to talk about, and she also wanted to check on how Randy was doing, she was the reason he had gotten so little sleep. She promised to set a curfew for their training this time around. She began eating her lunch, eating the salad she had prepared and packed for herself that morning.

"And why are you tired?" Howard asked, snickering. "A girl keeping you up all night?"

Randy still barely conscious, answered right away with a yawn. "Yeah, you could say that….."

Heidi's face burned, her cheeks turning a light shade of pink as she chocked on her salad.

The two boys turned around to see Heidi sputtering and banging her chest to get the food down. Randy was simply too tired to care, he lowered his head and promptly fell asleep on the table. Howard however, wouldn't let him, he violently shook Randy awake.

"Bro, you hear the news?" Howard said.

Groggily Randy got up. "What news?"

"Yeah what news?" Heidi asked, seeing as how the two boys already knew she was there, there was no point in staying out of the conversation.

"Wow Heidi, you're losing your edge" Howard teased, gloating at the fact he knew something that the all-knowing gossip didn't. Heidi's cheeks flushed, indeed feeling embarrassed for letting her training get in the way of her gossip reports.

"Well Mcfist is throwing a big party, and he's throwing it here at the school" Howard continued. "It's some big apology thing for the Sentinel, his wife's planning the whole thing, it's gonna be all fancy like, with suits and waiters and junk, which is kinda wonk, but hey free eats. Everyone's invited"

Randy's sleepy expression was wiped clean and replaced by an ear to ear grin.

"Well, he does deserve it" Randy announced proudly earning an eye roll from Heidi.

"Well I gotta go" Heidi said standing up, bringing the nomicon slightly out of her bag.

"Yeah, yeah for your me-cast" Howard added.

"My what?" Heidi asked, slightly puzzled. She suddenly remembered she still had a show, she'd have to put training off for a little while. She looked at her watch and her eyes widened "Oh wonk my show! I'm already late!"

She bolted out of the cafeteria as Randy and Howard shrugged.

* * *

Randy entered his home giddily, the news of a party being thrown in his honour had completely wiped out all the exhaustion he had from the lack of sleep he got the night before. He walked around the house until he found Scott sitting on the sofa, both his hands intertwined with each other, looking as if he were praying, his eyes lit up when he saw Randy.

"Hey Scott check it out!" Randy called, taking out a piece of paper from his pocket. "Mcfist is throwing a party for me! Can you believe that? It's so—"

"That's really cool Randy" Scott said interrupting Randy, a nervous edge in his voice. "Could you sit down, I have something to tell you"

"Okay but you have to hurry" Randy said taking a seat at a recliner to Scott's right. "Training with the ninja y'know"

"It's about why I was gone for a few days" Scott answered. Randy's face turned stoic, his curiosity showing on his face. Scott took a slow breath.

"I found a lead on your parents" Scott said finally.

Randys' stoic face replaced by one of urgency, he sat forward, saying nothing. Scott took that as a signal to go on.

"After some digging I found that a number of Policemen and Firemen had steered anyone who came close to your house away" Scott explained, he eyed Randy for his reaction, he could see the questions in Randy's head turning. "I found out they weren't policemen or firemen, they were hired guns in disguise…"

Randy stood up his eyes focused on Scott, he hung on every word he was hearing.

"I bounced around tracking down all of them down. This was a hit Randy, they were hired guns" Scott continued.

"What?" Randy said softly, barely comprehending what he was hearing. "What did you find out?"

"Nothing much, I bounced from town to town looking them up, they don't know who ordered it, but I'm still looking into it" Scott answered. This was a fib on Scott's part, the reason he returned to norrisville was because the person who received the orders was here in norrisville, but he decided to leave this out, he didn't want Randy to go in guns blazing, Scott hated to admit it, but he feared Randy may let his need for vengeance control him, and Scott could not let that happen to a boy who had the power of a tank, he decided to find more information before bringing Randy into the mix.

Randy ran his hands through his hair, breathing quickly. Randy looked around, the walls felt so constricting right now, were they closing in on him? Randy shook his head and gave a sheepish smile.

Scott stood up, slightly confused and worried, he placed a hand on Randys' shoulder.

"You OK?" He asked, in a firm but soothing tone.

Randy just smiled and nodded at his guardian. "I'm fine, Scott. Listen I gotta go, I'm super late and the ninja is going to kill me if I get there any later. See ya Scott" Randy said grabbing his backpack and waving cheerily at Scott.

Randy put on a brave face but Scott could see the anger in Randy's eyes. Scott sighed and prayed for the best.

* * *

The ninja sat in meditation, the grass around her lightly burning. Her black suit was bright red with her red accents now black. She grunted as she sat there, breathing heavily, eyes shut tight. Her eyes shot open as she exhaled in exhaustion, her suits' colors changing back to their original form.

She picked up her phone that was next to her and groaned at the screen, on it was a stopwatch app that read three minutes. 'Not even five minutes' she grumbled internally, she knew she was her most powerful in ninja rage form so she had been trying to teach herself to prolong it, the nomicon states that it is possible but something was blocking her growth. The ninja was about to try again when she noticed a dot in the sky coming closer, she stood up and dusted herself off.

Sentinel landed, well Randy landed. Ninja raised her eyebrow at the fact he had flown here without his costume, not only that he noticed Randy was sweating.

"You're late" The ninja said, crossing her arms. "And flying here without your costume was a totally boneheaded move, did anyone see you?"

"No" Randy answered in an emotionless tone. "Sorry. Let's just get started"

Before the ninja could say another word Randy removed his hoodie and stood in front of the new row of dummies. He raised his arm to them. The ninja saw right away that there was a fire in Randy's eyes, before she could do anything, he fired.

In an instant, a loud boom erupted from the forest. The ninja stared in wonder as a good chunk of the forest was left, all but one dummy was reduced to ash. The ninja turned slowly to look at Randy, who she noticed had the same look of bewilderment, but quickly it changed to one of irritation.

Randy took off running without even looking at the ninja, he shot up into the air, high enough that no one could see him. There was something wrong but the ninja didn't know if there was anything she could do to help, no the ninja couldn't, but maybe Heidi could.

Randy made sure to land in a shaded area, to make sure no one saw him. He didn't know where he was, he just wanted to get away and he let his body do the moving. He exited the shade and began walking, looking at his feet, lost in thought. He stopped and clenched his fist.

"Come here often?" He heard a voice ask, he turned to see Heidi there behind him. For the first time he looked around, nearly chuckling to himself, he had arrived at the park, on the ponds bank once again.

"Only when I'm feeling moody" He answered, giving Heidi a hollow smile.

Heidi frowned. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing" Randy said defensively, waving his hands in front of himself. "That was just a joke, I'm fine"

"No you're not" Heidi said matter-of-factly. "You could say my job's taught me how to pick up on the signs of a lie, and you are definitely lying"

Randy looked away, biting his lower lip. Heidi hesitantly put a hand on his shoulder, Randy looked back, their blue eyes meeting.

"Okay" Randy said finally. "Can we sit down?"

Heidi nodded and the two teens made their way to a bench where they sat. Randy stared at his hands for a minute, fiddling with his fingers until he sighed.

"I've told you about my parents right?" Randy asked.

"That they…" Heidi stopped herself from saying ' _died'_. "…Passed"

Randy nodded solemnly. "Turns out there's more"

Heidi leaned forward, listening intently.

"I just found out that someone wanted them dead" Randy continued, he heard a small gasp from Heidi. He closed his eyes and paused for a minute, despite his emotions he continued anyway. "Someone paid a bunch of goons to …."

"That's horrible" Heidi commented, casting her sad eyes at Randy.

"I know" Randy said, his fists shaking. "I got a therapist you know?" Randy saying more than he originally planned too. "I always _knew_ that whatever happened to them meant something….that something big was happening, but my therapist, she said that that was just something kids did when they faced trauma. She told me that we would try and make _sense_ of everything that happened, that not everything was some big conspiracy…that sometimes bad things happen to good people for no reason. But, what do I do now? Now that I _know_ I was right? How am I supposed to feel about this?"

Heidi couldn't answer.

Randy suddenly stood, making Heidi flinch. He slowly rand his hands through his hair. "I don't want to be that guy, that guy who's always angry at the fact his parents aren't there, I don't want anyone to worry, I just…." He sat down again, shoulders slumped, shaking slightly. He poured every ounce of emotion he had into his words. "I just don't know how I'm supposed to feel"

"You're allowed too, you know" Heidi said, hesitantly leaning closer. "I can't even begin to understand what you're going through, but I know you're allowed to be mad"

Randy stared at her, his emotions unreadable. Heidi bit the inside of her cheek, blushing slightly.

"Being mad at what happened doesn't make you 'that' guy" She continued. "That only happens when you let that anger be everything you and your parents are. When you think about your parents, is that all you remember about them? The conspiracies and lose?"

"Of course not!" Randy answered indignantly. "There were…..there were good times too"

"Then remember those" Heidi said, smiling softly.

Randy breathed out slowly and closed his eyes. A smile tugged at the side of his lips, one that didn't escape Heidi.

"What?" She asked, her smile growing wider.

"I just remembered my sixth birthday" He answered, eyes still closed. "Howard took a bite out of the cake while we were all away and he blamed you, then you started crying because everyone believed him"

Heidi made an indignant pout. "Stupid Howard" she mumbled

"Thanks" Randy said meekly.

"For what?" the red head asked.

"For this, for last time. You've been putting me back together a lot lately huh?" He said, his usual grin finally back.

"And I doubt it'll be the last" Heidi replied, a smirk on her lips. She playfully punched his shoulder.

"I gotta go" Randy said getting up, noting Heidis' frown. He tried smiling apologetically. "Sorry, I….I have something I have to finish, I kind of just ran out on a, um, friend earlier"

Heidi realized he was talking about her, well her other self. She nodded in response and he took off. She smiled softly until she realized something.

"I'm going to have to book it to get there before him" She complained, sighing.

* * *

Randy landed near the crater that he created minutes ago, he looked around for the stealthy hero who was mentoring him. His eyes landed on her when he saw her propped up against the tree where the only remaining training dummy hung. He walked over slowly, licking his lips.

"Hey" Randy greeted awkwardly, to which he got a nod in return. Randy looked closely to see the ninja panting and sweating but chose not to say anything.

"Um, so listen, about me being a wonk and ditching you" He tried to apologize, but the ninja held up her hand, signalling him to stop.

"It's OK" She assured him, surprising the boy. Her eyes were soft and comforting. "It's obvious you're going through some stuff, and maybe I pushed you too hard. We can pick this up again tomorrow if you want"

"No" Randy answered, a grateful smile on his lips. "I want to try again"

The ninja bowed and held her hand out in a 'be my guest' manner. She walked a few yards away from the training dummy, just in case it was blown to kingdom come like the last time, which Randy thought was rude but he couldn't blame her.

He held out his hand and aimed it towards the dummy. Usually this was the part where he drew on the anger of not knowing what happened to his parents, or like earlier he could draw on the anger of knowing what happened to his parents, but this time he chose different. He drew on his 6th birthday, when Heidi cried and Howard ate and when his parents were there to give and tell him of their love for him. 'You're gonna do great things when you get older kiddo' his father had said in his Bostonian accent, 'You can be whatever you want to be Randy' his mother had told him soothingly, he remembered his answer of course, like every other kid his age he wanted to be a hero, like the ninja. He released, he felt the power leave his fingertips and a dull thud.

He opened his eyes slowly to see the dummy had been knocked off the tree, nothing more nothing less. He turned towards the ninja am ear to ear grin spread across his face.

The ninja leaned against another tree and bowed with a proud smile under her mask.

* * *

Mcfist sat in his office chair, on the desk in front of him was a glass of water and a small yellow pill. He sat with his robotic hand to his chin, staring intently at the pills.

He glanced at a picture of his great-grandfather that he had on his desk, he remembered his great-great-grandfather well. A man of conviction, a man of determination, a man of perseverance. Back then Norrisville was a lowly crumbling city, completely bland, a nothing; no one knew or cared about such a terrible little city, and the people who did only knew about the legends of terrifying monsters and an 800 year old being fighting them, houses and property always being destroyed in monster fights, the city not having enough money to fix itself, it was a poor sight back in the day.

Then Mcfists' great-great-grandfather, Jonathan Hector Mcfist, came up with a brilliant idea. A snack, the size of a pellet made of meat, he was laughed at of course as most geniuses were, but he didn't let that stop him. Jonathan Mcfist pulled himself through the mud and brought himself to the top, true some of the deals he made weren't exactly legal, and he had to get 'rid' of a few competitors, but that was and is now the Mcfist way, 'you are a Mcfist, when you want something you go take it'. He rebuilt Norrisville, he fixed it, he made it great, he changed it from a nothing into a something, something incredible, and it was all because of the Mcfists.

Hannibal Mcfist considered himself the same, a man who would take whatever he wanted, he has always gotten whatever he wanted, and he wasn't about to stop now. He picked up the pill, popped it into his mouth and chased it down with some water.

In the same instant the door wooshed open and his wife entered.

"Oh Hani' I have the best idea for an opening for the party! And my little Bashford is going to be the star of it. I watched this fancy-pantsy video of a whole bunch of people waltzing in sync and I thought-Hani'? Are you listening? Are you OK?" Marci Mcfist stopped her explanation to ask her husband about the strange smile he had on his face.

"I'm fine dear" Mcfist answered, his smirk deepening. "I've never felt better"

* * *

 **Wooh there we go, again sorry about the filler forgive me**

 **Thanks for reading and don't forget to leave a review :)**


	10. Chapter 10

**Back from the dead, woOoOoOoh, haha just kidding.**

 **Now I don't have a real excuse as to why I went on this hiatus soooo all I'll say is sorry, pls forgive me :3**

 **Anyway I tried to double up this chapter, going from normally my 4-6k words chapter to 12k chapter, I know it doesn't make up for it haha but pls accept it anyway**

 **On to the story.**

* * *

"AAAAAHHHH!" Rachel screamed as a giant spired crawled closer to her. This spider was in fact a stanked Julian, earlier that day Bash had shredded Julian's new _Book of the dark art_ instruction manual he had purchased online. Naturally he got upset, ran down the corridor and the vents expelled the dreaded stench that would transform him now.

However something else had happened, before terrorizing the student body he was cornered in the hallway by a man wearing a black lab coat.

Rachel ran and ran across the school parking lot, until she cornered herself running up to a fence. She desperately tried to climb over but she felt sticky sensation capture her leg, she looked down to see some spider webs had caught her. Rachel yelped as the web, which was attached to Julian's butt, was pulled, she sailed through the air for a second before Julian caught her.

Rachel bit back a whimper as Julian placed his hands on Rachel's head. Suddenly Rachel felt her entire brain erupt in a barrage of stimulation, ranging from pain to pleasure, until finally her eyes just rolled back into her head, but she continued to stand there motionless.

"Where bash?!" Stanked Julian growled out.

"If I were you I'd be more concerned at where we're going to kick your butt to" Sentinel said as he landed gently half a yard away from Julian.

"Where we are going to kick your butt to? That's the best you could do?" Sentinel coughed as a smoke bomb exploded right next to him, the ninja emerging from within.

"Cut me some slack" Sentinel replied dryly. "They can't all be the cheese. So what we dealing with here, Goth boy always like this?"

"No, looks like he got a visit from our local wacko in black" The ninja replied, taking note of stanked Julian's much larger body and extra set of arms, his fangs had grown much longer as well. She also took note of the large number of students simply standing around or sitting looking into the distance with a blank look on their faces.

"So he's super stanked, wonk" Sentinel remarked.

"Yeah, judging by all the zombie students around him, he got telepathy, he can mess with our heads" The ninja added, pulling out her swords.

"Well then, I'll give him a taste of his own medicine, gonna mess with his head too" Sentinel said, pounding his fist into his palm. "Physically"

"I'll be sure to do that" The ninja said. "While you take care of all these students"

Sentinel stared at her with a far off, exasperated look for a beat. Julian roared to get their attention but Sentinel held up a finger shushing Julian in a 'Give us a minute' gesture.

"Real talk right now" he said, an irritated edge in his voice. "Will you stop putting me on crowd control duty? This is the third time this week"

"No can do" The ninja said. "You can fight when I say so"

With that the ninja leapt into action while Sentinel grumbled.

"Hey crowd control get crowd controlling" She yelled back before engaging Julian. Sentinel rolled his eyes and scowled as he began scooping the dazed and unmoving students up and taking them away from the parking lot.

The ninja leapt in the air, and came down at Julian with her swords pointed at him. However her swords met resistance in the form of Julian's forearms, his skin seeming to also have been strengthened. Julian raised his other two extra arms.

"Hooooo boy" The ninja exhaled just before she got decked right in the face. She sailed through the air and landed on her back, right in front of Sentinel.

"Need some help?" He asked smugly.

"No" She hissed. Doing a kick up, she got back on her feet.

The ninja proceeded to do a quick succession of poses. Sentinel who was still rounding up a few kids in the parking lot, snickered at the funny poses the ninja was making, to which the ninja glared at him causing him to shut up.

In an instant blue energy formed around the ninja's fist, she yelled a battle cry as she ran towards Julian. Julian charged at the hero as well, he made a wide swipe at her head, but she dodged and released her air fist as she gave a gruesome uppercut to Julian's chin.

Like dead weight the students who were under Julian's influence dropped. Heads pounding they groggily sat up, still too dazed to fully comprehend what was happening. Suddenly they all acknowledged the peril they were in, and panic ensued. The students began running frantically, screaming from the top of their lungs, students were running to and from every direction, even the ones Sentinel had just rounded up, like a herd of sheep who had lost their guide.

Julian sailed through the air in an arc that ended with him crashing into a bus. The ninja took only a moment to look at the pandemonium happening around her, but it took only that moment for Julian to haul the bus he crashed into over his head and chuck it at the ninja.

The ninja noticed it instantly, she was about to dodge when a chorus of cries erupted behind her, she didn't need to turn to know that a group of students were behind her, petrified by fear, unable to move. The young heroine's mind was in a frenzy, she couldn't dodge or the students behind her would be crushed. She didn't know what to do.

In the same instant the Sentinel had also noticed who the airborne bus threatened to squish. He shot out off the ground like a bullet. The ninja in her fear, had shut her eyes and held out her hands, despite knowing that would do nothing to stop the oncoming bus, but when she cracked her eyelids open she saw Sentinel had arrived in the nick of time, standing in front of her with his chest and arms around the bus.

With a mighty cry he threw the bus right back at Julian who yelped when the bus pancaked him against another car. Everyone was stunned silent for a few seconds, then suddenly the students erupted into enthusiastic cheers, yells and "Woohoo's".

"You OK?" Sentinel asked the ninja.

"Yeah….I'm fine" The ninja answered hesitantly. She bit her cheek in frustration, _I could have stopped that bus,_ she told herself inwardly.

A vicious roar caused both heroes to swivel their heads towards Julian's not so unconscious figure. Julian narrowed his eyes, they began to glow in a faint red light which steadily increased in brightness. Like Julian's eyes, the heroes and students minds felt small prickles which grew slowly, until they became an intense searing pain in their heads. Sentinel crumpled to the ground on all fours, gritting his teeth.

The ninja however knew exactly what to do in this situation. She had previously faced a psychic attack at the hands of their black lab coated nemesis. She felt the pain momentarily, but she instantly steadied herself, her index and middle finger in-between her eyes, she cleared her mind. She dashed forward in a sprint, towards her prey.

Julian flinched at the fact his new found powers weren't working, but he quickly recovered and met the ninja in combat while keeping everyone else subdued with his telepathic attack. The ninja and Julian were in heated combat, dodging and striking, blocking and counter-attacking. The ninja did a couple of moves akin to break dancing as she spun on the ground to dodge a punch, she gracefully transformed her dodge into a powerful kick, her foot connected with Julian's face as he gave an indignant growl of pain. In less than a beat the ninja used her scarf to snag Julian's hat, and punch a hole right through it, releasing the stank within.

The ninja was just about to congratulate herself when she saw the released stank circle its former host, just as it did the first time she fought a super stanked student, and if this was going to end anything like the first time there was going to be an explosion.

She acted fast and on instinct, activating her ninja rage her suit turned from black with red to red with black. The ninja fired an intense column of heat at the explosive stank, not even sure of this would have any effect on it. But it seems either her prayers were answered or her intuition was on point today, because she saw the stank growing smaller, whatever energy was infused with the sorcerers evil stank had also made it weak against fire it seems.

 _YES!_ , the ninja cried mentally. But she should have known that the moment of victory could easily turn into a moment of defeat. She felt her insides twist and her energy drain. _NO! NO! NO!,_ she repeated mentally as her ninja rage lasted only 3 minutes and 30 seconds, she crumpled to the ground exhausted, the ninja looked up at the stank which was now growing larger and rowdier. She closed her eyes, fearing the worst.

Yet again, she cracked her eyes open to see Sentinel in front of her. His hand were stretched out, syphoning the super stank's power. Unlike the first time, he held and his suit and skin did not burn up. It was over in a few minutes, the green ball of energy getting smaller and smaller until it was no more. Sentinel heaved a heavy sigh and shook excitedly, like a child on a coffee rush.

The ninja could only stare in disbelief, this was the second time she failed to save anyone, because of _him_. The school parking lot erupted in cheers as the students swarmed Sentinel and gave him high-fives and pats on the backs, the teens showering him in praises. The ninja rolled her eyes at this display, ticked off at the fact they all hated him a week ago, granted she was part of the reason they trusted him again, with her tape recorder proving his innocence and her me cast placing him in a better light, despite all that for some reason it still miffed her.

The Sentinel was busy thanking people for their praise and being totally humble about it, that at first glance he didn't notice the ninja get up and start walking away from the crowd, he levitated away from the crowd and flew to catch up with his partner (though she would argue he was a _sidekick_ which seriously annoyed him and she knew it).

"Do your homework and stay in school!" He called back to the students before landing, the walking beside the ninja.

"Did you see me with my absorbing powers out there? I'm getting pretty good with them aren't I?" He asked haughtily.

"Yeah sure" The ninja answered, rolling her eyes and scowling behind her mask.

"OH OH you have to teach me that bruce move later by the way" Sentinel said, a twinkle in his eye, totally oblivious to the ninjas mood.

"What the juice are you talking about?" The ninja questioned.

"You know the thing! Where you were like" Sentinel replied, then mimicked the ninja's earlier pose by placing his index and middle finger between his eyes, with a look of concentration. "Where you went all kung fu master on Julian and his jedi mind trick didn't work on you, that was the cheese! You've gotta teach me that"

"I'll think about it after school" The ninja answered sarcastically, which Sentinel did not pick up on.

"Cool!" Sentinel exclaimed, floating into the air. "Now I'm going to be late for gym, so see ya ninja"

Sentinel flew off and the ninja rolled her eyes before smoke bombing away.

* * *

Knock! Knock! Knock! Scott rapped at the door of an apartment room. He had finally tracked down the leader of the team of mercenaries who caused the Cunningham's parting. He waited for a few minutes, rocking back and forth on the heels of his feet, he was about to leave when he heard the slight shuffle of feet inside the room, the shuffle was moving further away from the door.

Scott patted down his pockets, looking for his knife, intending to use it to open the door like a tough guy movie action star, unfortunately he seemed to have forgotten in so instead he pulled out his plan B, a bobby pin. After fiddling with the lock a bit, he heard a satisfying click.

He crept into the room to find a fairly clean looking apartment, in fact it was too clean, no personal decoration or things of value such as pictures or posters decorated the apartment, as if the occupant was ready to move away at a moment's notice.

Scott removed a pistol from his holster and silently crept through the room, slowly he made his way to the kitchen, taking in slow steady breathes and calmed his mind and turned the corner, gun ready.

He came face to face with a scruffy looking man trying to exit through the window. He gave a sheepish grin which Scott raised an eyebrow at. Scott wondered why the man had not escaped yet, but he soon saw the answer when he noticed that the man's left leg from the knee down was a prosthetic replacement.

"Can I offer you something to drink?" The man asked nervously.

"Yes please" Scott answered, keeping his gun aimed at the man. "And I'd like to drink it in the living room"

"Okay" The man said, sighing as he walked towards the living room with a slight limp, Scott close behind, even standing behind the man while he made coffee for the two of them, to make sure he didn't do anything to Scott's drink.

"So, judging by the fact you didn't kill me on the spot, it's probably safe to assume you're not an assassin" The man said, taking a seat on a chair and placing their drinks on a small coffee table.

Scott pursed his lips and nodded. "Well I'm an ex-assassin, I'm not here to kill you Stanley I just want you to answer some questions"

The man known as Stanley snorted. "Yeah right, _ex-assassin_ my butt, you're probably a cop"

"I really am Stanley" Answered Scott. "Does the name Scott Elinoff ring a bell?"

"Of course it does, that guys a legend, one of the best" Stanley answered, raising an eyebrow at Scott. Scott hated to admit it but he had a bit of a reputation among mercenaries.

"In fact…" Stanley continued, squinting at Scott. "You kind of look..."

Scott raised his eyebrows and gave Stanley a half smile.

"You're Scott Elinoff!" Stanley said jumping out of his seat, a knife falling out of his pocket.

"Is that a knife" Scott asked dryly.

"Yeah I was going to stab you when you weren't looking" Stanley admitted. "But not anymore! You're Scott Elinoff! A legend, you've got to give me your autograph" He looked for something Scott could autograph, until he giddily picked up the knife he was about to use to stab him. "You have to sign this man!"

"Maybe later Stanley" Scott said, scratching the back of his head. "I really need info on a job you pulled a few years ago"

"Of course man, anything!" Stanley replied, giddy.

"About 8 years ago, in this very town" Scoot asked. Something in Stanley's eyes realized what he was talking about, he looked away, at first Scott assumed it was out of shame but soon realized it was out of fear.

"I don't know what you're talking about" Stanley said, shifting his eyes.

"Stanley, you can tell me, I met your crew, I just need more information" Scott said in the most soothing voice he had.

"I don't want to talk about it OK" Stanley said, beads of sweat in his forehead.

"What happened Stanley" Scott said with more authority this time.

"Nothing" Stanley said quickly.

"Doesn't sound like nothing" Stanley said, his features hardening staring straight into Stanley's scared eyes.

"Look! Nothing happened!" Stanley said, finally snapping. "We were hired to off these two brainiacs, so me and my guys steered people away from their house then we killed them OK?! That's it, standard job! That's all that happened!"

"No it's not" Scott said, his gaze one of steel. "You're not telling me everything"

"You know what? You can go!" Stanley barked, getting up and pointing at the door. "Get out of my apartment!"

Scott sighed and leaned back into his chair. "Sorry Stanley but I'm not going anywhere, you on the other hand are going away for a long long time"

Stanley was about to ask what he meant when Scott pulled out a Mcfistpad and immediately played something that caused Stanley to go white as a bed sheet.

" _We were hired to off these two brainiacs, so me and my guys steered people away from their house then we killed them OK?! That's it, standard job! That's all that happened!"_ Stanley heard his own voice playback to him, a recorded confession.

"Yeah, figured I'd need some evidence, got the idea from the ninja" Scott remarked, looking at Stanley as casually as he could. He had done this with everyone involved in the Cunninghams murders, he either lured them into a false sense of security or he got them to confess with more aggressive methods.

"You! Why-what?!" Stanley babbled, unable to comprehend the situation. "You've got no hono—"

"Honor? Please" Scott said dismissively. "I am an ex-Merc. That and you orphaned a kid, a kid who's family to me"

Stanley looked mad, then his red face deflated and he sat back down with a sigh of defeat.

"Look Stanley" Scott said, his features softening. "Things are just going to get worse for you here, but I could help you out, your sentence could be made a little easier if you help me out, I need to know who gave the order"

"I can't" Replied Stanley.

"It's OK Stanley, whoever hired you won't get you" Scott explained reassuringly.

"No, I mean I literally can't tell you" Stanley stood and walked to the cupboards in the kitchen, after some fiddling he revealed a secret compartment at the bottom of one and retrieved something from it. He walked back to Scott and handed him something.

Scott accepted the small object, a thumb drive. "Is this?" Scott was about to say before he was interrupted.

"How I got the details for the job" Stanley answered. "No addresses, no info. on the employer, when we were done the money was anonymously sent to our accounts. I kept it just in case"

Scott inserted the thumb drive into his Mcfistpad, trying to hack its inner contents to find the last computer it was connected to before Stanley's, unfortunately the Mcfistpad couldn't do it.

"It's heavily encrypted" Scott commented, his face grave. "This is a military grade Mcfistpad too"

"Listen, if I were you I'd drop this" Stanley said.

"But you're not" Scott said getting up, ready to leave. "Nothing personal Stanley, I'm just trying to do right by my kid"

"This is bigger than you think" Stanley cooed, his face tense with fear. "There was someone, _something_ , in that house that night, something freaky" Stanley said reaching out and rubbing his prosthetic leg. "Something I don't think you'd understand"

"I'm used to freaky" Scott replied, sitting back down again. "So try me"

* * *

"Alright!" Sentinel said landing in his and the ninjas training spot in the woods. "Let's get this show on the road"

Sentinel was answered with nothing but silence, he collapsed his helmet and scanned the area looking for the red and black clad hero. Sentinel saw no sign of his mentor, he began wondering if training had been cancelled and she had forgotten to tell him, he was about to leave when suddenly an object moving fast collided with his head.

"OW!" He cursed. "What the juice was that?"

His answer came in the form of another fast object cuffing his ear, which didn't really answer anything at all. Suddenly he saw, a large group of white balls coming at him from multiple directions, all moving extremely fast. The fast rubber balls pelted him, painfully stinging different parts of his body.

Sentinel grunted in frustration and decided he had enough. He energized his hands and began blasting the balls out of the air, vaporizing them. Most of the balls were incinerated before they even got near him, one lone ball flew towards him, Sentinel catching it easily and crushing it.

Sentinel heard rustling leaves and saw the ninja jump down from a tree, she walked towards him.

"Looks like I just passed your little test" Randy stated smugly, dropping the deflated ball and stomping on it to emphasize his point. "Who's the cheese? I'm the cheese"

"That was Theresa Fowler" The ninja said emotionlessly. "You just killed her"

"Um…" Randy trailed off, eyes shifting from side to side in confusion. He looked down and noticed the deflated ball had a crudely drawn face on it, one that did in fact look a little like Theresa Fowler.

"Huh" Randy said, placing his hands on his hips and looking down at the deflated ball. "She used to be taller than me and less ball-ish"

"You said you wanted to learn about blocking lab coat guy's wonky mind powers right" The ninja said coolly, suddenly 3 more balls shot towards her from behind, she dodged them expertly letting the first one pass her side as she spun, the second one bopping Randy on the forehead and catching the third one with the back of her hand letting it flow and travel from her right hand, on her back then to her left hand, spinning it on her finger. "You're going to have to learn all this jazz"

"And how exactly does all this _jazz_ help me learn that?" Randy asked, shaking his hands in a _jazz hands_ motion to emphasize his point.

"The trick to blocking those mind games are simple, a clear and steady mind" The ninja explained. "Even under pressure you have to keep your cool, that'll strengthen your mind making it harder for lab coat guy's powers to affect you, as a bonus it helps with more of your _holding back_ training"

Randy put his fist to his chin and contemplated what the ninja had told him. "Kind of kung-fu movie cliché though isn't it?"

"Hey man, I didn't make the rules, my magic book did" The ninja replied, throwing her hands up defensively.

"Magic book, evil shnasty smoke, jeez" Randy complained. "Are you ever going to explain any of your ninja bizz to me?"

Randy had meant it as a joke and was expecting an equally sarcastic reply, instead he was met with the ninja crossing her arms and looking away. He didn't let it show, or at least tried not to, but that stung a little, after all the trust he put in her.

"Anyway let's get started" the ninja said quickly, clapping her hands together. "Remember, no blasting or crushing just dodging and defending"

She walked away and Randy sighed, afterwards he did some short stretches and got into a ready stance.

"Bring it!" He announced, smiling confidently. His smile faded when he saw the stream of balls coming towards him.

Randy was thoroughly pummelled, well at least that's how he would describe it anyway. He got up from the ground, after trying to either dodge or block any ball that came close to him he ended up all turned around and confused eventually falling over, with balls continuing to pelt his body as he lay on the grass. He did wonder what exactly was throwing the balls but decided it would probably be something like an automatic ninja tennis ball launcher, why not? There was a ninja ukulele, a ninja door stopper why not a tennis ball launcher why not.

"Did I bring the right amount?" The ninja smiled smugly under her mask, kind of basking in Randy's failure.

"Are you mad at me?" Randy asked, sitting up and raising a brow at the ninja. He was starting to think she had put this training session on hard mode from the get go.

The ninja jumped a little, trying desperately to deny the validity of that statement in her head. "No, I'm just teaching you in the best way I know how. So um…..clear your mind and think of nothing, be uh..like the river or something" Was her half-hearted advice, one might even say less than half.

"Well….alright I guess" Randy replied, unsure. He closed his eyes and emptied his mind, which was a lot harder than he expected every time he tried to think of nothing a memory of him and Howard doing something would pop up or he would wonder if he forgot to clean up that sandwich he left behind the couch a day ago. He opened his eyes and forced himself to think of nothing but the balls coming at him, then he moved on instinct.

He dodged and weaved around the balls, those he couldn't he batted away with his forearm. He tried not to smile at his progress, but he couldn't help himself. Of course a few stray ball did still end up hitting him, but the vast majority lay scattered around his feet, never touching a part of his body he didn't want it too. Soon all the balls ceased fire and Randy let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

Randy faced the ninja with an ear to ear grin, walking proudly to her. Randy's smile fell when he saw the ninja's lack of enthusiasm.

"That was baby stuff" The ninja said rolling her eyes a little too much. "Now the real deal comes from fighting an actual person and not a bunch of rubber balls"

Randy put his hands on his hips and huffed. "Well maybe we should do that"

The ninja raised an eyebrow. "You want to go? With me?"

"Sure" Randy challenged. "A practice fight, if you go down you lose"

"Alright Cunningham, you're on" the ninja smirked. "Just help me take down the ninja tennis ball launchers from the trees"

 _Knew it_ , Randy thought.

After taking down the ninja tennis ball launchers Randy and the ninja circled each other inside a circle drawn in the dirt. Randy cracked his neck, he knew he could end this with his super powers as quickly as he wanted happened but he wasn't allowed to use his energy bolts or flight but even still he knew his strength would be more than enough so he decided to just put her down without her even knowing what happened, he mused smugly to himself.

Randy lunged at her, but apparently the ninja had seen that coming from a mile away and sidestepped, holding out her foot causing Randy to trip and face plant with the ground. Randy got up and coughed out some grass.

"That's one for me" the ninja said grinning at Randy.

"Okay now it's for real" Randy said getting up and lunging at her again. Unfortunately the results were the same.

"Oof!"

"Ouch!"

"Wonk!"

What the juice!?"

Were the chorus of curses Randy yelled out every time the ninja left him flat on his back, leaving him on the ground, scowling. Randy's attempt became more and more predictable and careless, as he let his anger drive his actions.

The ninja dodged her sparring partner gracefully, using his momentum and movement against him, matching his every move, he couldn't even touch him. Smiling in satisfaction, the ninja replied to every one of Randy's curses.

"Ooh, nice try though"

"Too bad so sad"

"Watch your feet next time"

"Well that was sloppy, saw it coming a mile away"

Randy pounded the ground with his fists, looking up and glaring at the ninja before charging her again screaming a battle cry, which ended in ended pretty much the same way all his other attempts did.

The ninja redirected him once again, flipping him over her shoulder and slamming him on the ground. Randy lay on his stomach with the ninja on his back holding his arm in a lock. The ninja gave Randy's arm a hard twist which caused randy to cry out.

"Uncle! Uncle!" Randy repeated, gritting his teeth. The ninja released and walked slowly away from him.

"You keep losing because you keep letting your emotions control you again, you've got to clear your mind like I told you" The ninja lectured, causing Randy to roll his eyes in annoyance.

"No I keep losing because you're going way too hard on me for some reason" Randy argued, raising an accusing finger at the female hero.

"Please why would I do that" the ninja defended, knowing full well why she was in a bit of a mood today.

As the ninja walked towards a tree where they had left their water bottles Randy crossed his arms and pouted. He looked again and saw his mentor distracted by the water she was drinking, he looked behind him to see the city in view. Honestly? Randy was a bit cross with the ninja, for some reason or another he was the target of her stress removal and he still didn't like the fact that the ninja refused to reveal anything about her line of work or herself, it made Randy feel like he still wasn't trusted. So it didn't even take him a second to decide to just leave, he'd deal with her later and unwind in the meantime.

"Let's get back to traini—"The ninja tried to say before stopping when she was met with nothing but an empty field. Her brow was creased I confusion until she spotted in the skyline a small dot getting further away. Her confusion turned to anger as she grinded her teeth.

"He ditched me!" She bellowed, stomping her foot hard on the ground.

* * *

"Listen here MCJERK! Bash ain't doing nothing" Bash yelled at his step-father. "If Bash don't wanna then Bash don't wanna!"

Mcfist sat on his desk chair furiously tapping the side of his head, his face nearly tomato red in anger. Marci had arranged that 5 pairs of teens would do a synchronized and choreographed waltz as the opening to the big apology party they were throwing for Sentinel (more to keep up public appearances, rather than actually feeling sorry). Mcfist's wife had asked him to convince Bash to be one of the lead dancers, and naturally Bash was being very difficult about it. Mcfist was just about to yell back at the boy when suddenly his automatic door wooshed open.

Viceroy sauntered in, urgency in his step. He walked up right to Mcfist and held out a tablet.

"Sir We—"

"Shut up Science guy!" Bash interrupted. "I'm trying to get Mcidiot here to not make me dance like a shoobie!"

"Bash—" Mcfist sneered before Bash interrupted him as well, getting right in Mcfist's face. Mcfist's rage at a boiling point now.

"I'm not doing anything! Especially for you McLoser" Bash bellowed. "If you weren't my mom's husband I'd beat your stupid ugly head in, I'd break all your dumb bones you shooby shoob! And-"

Bash was silenced by Mcfist suddenly grabbing his desk and flinging it to the far side of the room, destroying it on impact with the wall. Mcfist stood up in a blur and grabbed Bash (With his human hand) and lifted him up by the throat, walking as he lifted his stepson Mcfist's scowl deepened.

"No you listen you snot nosed buffoon!" Mcfist growled. "The only reason I don't put you six feet under is because for some reason an idiotic waste of space like you is my Marci's son! If you weren't I would have killed you! I could kill you right now"

"H-Hannibal" Viceroy squeaked out, trembling. "Y-your eyes….."

Mcfist turned slowly, his hand still choking the air out of Bash. He looked to one of his currently deactivated monitors that showed his reflection, he saw his own terrifying reflection but his eyes, his eyes were glowing a bright yellow. Most people would be scared, but Hannibal Mcfist was not most people, he smiled. Mcfist dropped Bash suddenly, continuing to scowl at his step-son who was now choking and trying to get air into his lungs.

"Y-you're a freak!" Bash coughed out, his face purple.

"Yeah and If you tell anyone about this, you're dead" Mcfist said, his eyes still blazing yellow, a devious grin on his face, oh he's wanted to do that to Bash for so long.

Bash scampered out of the room, like a dog who had just had a run in with the alpha.

As soon as Bash exited the room Mcfist staggered and nearly toppled he caught himself, glancing at Viceroy who was too scared to move. MCfist heaved a heavy sigh and put his hand to his light headed head.

"What did you need to tell me Viceroy" Mcfist said in a low, but happy voice.

"I um, just that we might have a problem, sir" Viceroy said walking over, warily, to Mcfist. "Sir I just got a notification from one of our thumb drives being opened"

MCfist raised an eyebrow at Viceroy, urging Viceroy to explain further.

"It was from the one we used to hire the assassins…for the Cunningham's" Viceroy explained, shutting one eye.

"WHAT?!" Mcfist said his eyes glowing yellow again. Quickly Mcfist took slow steady breathes, his eyes dimming until they turned back to normal. "Do we know who? Or where?"

"Unfortunately no sir" Viceroy answered, hoping Mcfist wouldn't explode again. "Someone tried to hack it sir, they couldn't beat my security but whatever they used must have been military grade because it jammed our signal from tracking them down, but there's only one person who could have made a device able to block my signal, one made by me. Whoever is digging around has our tech which mean…"

"They work for me" Mcfist growled. "It's gotta be that Sentinel! Oh when I get my hands on him!" Mcfist stated making a strangling motion. "Of course he starts digging now! Now that I'm so close! I can feel it Viceroy, my powers, I just need more time, when I have them ohohoho that kid won't know what hit him!"

"Not if he gets you before your powers fully develop" Viceroy said matter-of-factly.

"So we need to take him out now!" Mcfist added.

"Or at least stall, but if we try anything or send something to get him the ninja is sure to come swinging in to save her new sidekicks butt" Viceroy remarked, chewing on his fingernail.

"She can't save him, if she's the one fighting him" Mcfist said, his face lighting up. "It's genius Viceroy! We get them to fight EACH OTHER! This is such a great plan Viceroy, why haven't we thought of it before!?"

"We have sir!" Viceroy said, throwing his hands up in exasperation. "We tried remember?! It's why they teamed up in the first place!"

"Oh….right" Mcfist said, deflating. He crossed his arms and muttered like a child. "Stupid heroes having to team up, why couldn't they just tear each other apart like honking wild dogs?"

"Wait Hannibal that's it!" Viceroy exclaimed, his face bright with enthusiasm. "What if we can get them to fight like a bunch of wild animals, with no rhyme or reason?"

"Um how we gonna do that?" Mcfist asked, bewildered.

"Do you remember the Rhinosaurus? The super weapon I created that triggers the dear gland in the brain?" Viceroy explained.

"Vaguely, what's your point Viceroy?" Mcfist said, getting annoyed.

"With a little tinkering, I can change the fear formula into just what we need" Viceroy said, a mad scientist sparkle in his eye.

"Brilliant! I love it I'm so-Viceroy where are you going?" Mcfist asked, watching Viceroy Exit the room.

"I'm getting to work" Viceroy explained. "Because if I stay here any longer you're going to take credit for my plan and I'm just going to get uppity"

"Geez what's his problem" Mcfist said to himself as Viceroy left. Mcfist turned and looked at his smashed up desk, admiring his work and looking to his hands the hands that caused that. "Soon Randy my boy, soon…"

* * *

Heidi walked into a public Basketball court, she was looking for Randy when some of the Rorg club members (Morgan, Debbie, Theresa and Rachel) called her and said they were hanging out at said Basketball court and they wanted her to join in. She walked in and looked around for her friends, spotting them in the bleachers talking animatedly.

She walked up to them but stopped just short of sitting right next to them, she looked around a little causing the rorg club to wonder what she was doing. In truth she was looking around to see if any of the popular kids were around and could spot her, a part of her felt ashamed, the rorg club were really cool people and she shouldn't be embarrassed to be seen with them but the other part of her that valued her hard achieved popularity told her it was better safe than sorry. After only seeing a few freshmen on the court playing basketball she quickly sat down on the bleachers next to her friends.

The club members shot her a confused look, which she only shrugged off, the rorg club shrugging it off as well and choosing not to dwell on it.

"Hey guys" Heidi greeted, to which the group greeted her back. "So what are we doing?"

"Nothing much" Morgan said, emotionlessly, as usual. "We're real bored so we're trying to see who'd be a good match for Rachel"

"OK, so how about Buttermaker?" Theresa suggested.

"Ooh yeah, he's handsome" Debbie cooed.

"Plus he's the captain of the wave slayers" Morgan added.

"Hmmmm" Rachel hummed, contemplating this possible love interest.

"Yeah no" Heidi chimed in. "Sure he seems like a good match, but he will never love you as much as he loves ridding the waves, don't be surprised if he misses your first anniversary because he lost track of time 'Riding those gnarly waves'"

The other girls stared at Heidi for a solid 30 seconds, lips pursed and incredulous gazes. Heidi simply continued to look off into the distance ignoring their stares.

"Anyway" Debbie coughed, breaking the silence. "How about Jacques?"

"Nice pick" Morgan said. "Love his accent"

"He seems so sophisticated" Theresa remarked.

Just as Rachel was about to comment Heidi interrupted.

"Sure but a relatsh with him is a recipe for heart break, a French recipe" Heidi argued. "He's an exchange student, he's going to have to move back and I don't know if your fragile hearts could take it"

"Um" Rachel said. "How about Stevens?"

"Oh honey…." All the girls said at the same time in an "it's so sad how naïve you are" voice.

"But for real" Theresa said, turning to Heidi. "Who ganked your cheese today Heidi?"

"Yeah you're in a total mood" Morgan added.

"No I'm not" Heidi protested.

"You totally are" Debbie argued back. "You're being super negative about all the boys we mention"

"Ok" Heidi said, sighing. "I won't be anymore, so you guys keep playing"

"Alright…hmmm" Theresa cupper her own chin, looking in her mind for another boy to bring to the table. With an _Aha!_ She remembered one. "How about the new kid?"

"Mandy?" Debbie asked, trying to properly recall his name.

Heidi nearly chocked. " _Him_ , you can't be serious" She said. Her face scrunched up in disgust. "And it's Randy" She corrected Debbie.

"Yeah" Rachel said, ignoring Heidi, her face lighting up. "He's always so happy, I think that really cool"

"Now that you mention it whenever you try and ask him about where's he's been or about his past he dodges the question" Debbie said, more to herself. "He's got the whole mysterious thing going on"

"Plus he's pretty cute" Theresa chimed in, her cheeks gaining a light pink after realizing what she had just said. "In that boyish kind of way I mean"

 _Cool? Mysterious? Cute?_ Heidi thought the bewilderment showing on her face, _what's wrong with all of you, you guys need to set higher standards for yourself_.

"Hmmmm, not really my type" Morgan hummed, squinting her eyes at something in the air. "I like his hair thoug—INCOMING!"

Heidi's head snapped around to see a basketball almost hit her as Rachel screamed and the other girls jumped slightly, Heidi let out a shaky sigh of relief after examining herself and finding no injuries.

She picked up the ball and looked towards the direction it had flown from, noting someone hurriedly jogging towards them. Heidi squinted and sneered as the spiky purple mass of hair jogged towards her, her anger towards the freshmen resurface.

"Oh my cheese, I am so honking sorry!" Randy apologized, scratching the back of his head, a sheepish grin on his face.

Heidi wanted nothing more than to scream at the boy for ditching her training, but she caught herself just in time, if she had she would have definitely have given away the fact that she was the ninja. But her emotions could not be quelled so easily, desperately she looked around for something else to use as a catalyst for her anger, her eyes landed on the ball in her hands, _perfect_.

"You could have taken my head off!" Heidi accused, standing and holding the ball up to Randy's face.

Randy raised his hands in defense. "I-I'm sorry, I just lost control of the ball a little. Besides you're fine"

"It doesn't matter if I'm fine" Heidi argued, her brows scrunched in anger. "You shouldn't have lost control of the ball and nearly get my brains bashed in"

"Lay off, OK?" Randy asked, his tone rising as well. The other freshmen he was playing with had begun to gather around him and the red head he was currently arguing with. "It was an accident, I'd like to see you do better"

"Maybe I will!" Heidi growled, she turned to the other girls. "Any of you have any extra sweat pants?"

"I always carry a pair in case I need to bust a move" Morgan replied, grabbing her bag and handing it to Heidi.

"I'll meet you on the court, shoob" Heidi told Randy as she left for the changing rooms, inciting a bunch of "Ooohhhh's" from the crowd around them.

The two met on the court, Heidi having changed into a pair of grey sweatpants, her hair tied in a ponytail.

"Heidi please don't do this" Howard demanded, walking right up to Heidi's face. "You don't even play basketball!"

"Can't be that hard" Heidi replied, stretching her arms and legs.

"You're going to embarrass me!" Howard protested.

Heidi placed her fingers on Howard's forehead and pushed him away. "Watch and learn little brother"

Randy and Heidi stared at each other eye to eye, sizing each other up.

"Half court, throws and dunks count as 1 point, first to 3 wins" Randy explained, throwing the ball at Heidi, to which Heidi threw it right back causing Randy's eyebrows raise in surprise.

"You first" Heidi announced walking in front of Randy and taking a defensive stance.

"You're too kind" Randy shrugged, his words dripping with sarcasm and arrogance.

Randy began dribbling the ball between his legs and did, showing off his impressive control. Randy's smile faltered when he saw Heidi's stance slacken and she simply seem to sway slightly, he raised an eyebrow as he watched her sway from side to side.

Like a car simply getting its engine ready, Heidi raced towards him at unbelievable speeds. Randy was so stunned he almost felt like his heart stopped, he staggered backwards in shock, allowing Heidi to take the ball from him.

As she turned and dribbled the ball towards the hoop Randy realized what had happened and he pushed his body forward, chasing after the red head. He ran as fast as he could, and lunged at the ball. Heidi twirled in place, spinning out of Randy's reach. Randy dig his feet into the ground to turn as quickly as possible and made swipes at the ball, to which Heidi dodged effortlessly. Almost like a cat playing with a mouse she taunted him. Randy got frustrated and tripped, falling down, allowing Heidi to throw the ball into the air, arching lazily through the air and falling in the hoop.

Randy looked up at Heidi as she caught the ball again, her face having been cool under fire the entire experience, she inhaled and exhaled slowly the light hitting her from behind, giving her a glow that took Randy's breathe away. She noticed him staring and shot him a smug smirk of triumph, Randy sucked that breath back in and got back up.

"OK, that was pretty good and I'll admit you got me that time" Randy explained, dusting himself off and trying to forget about the way Heidi had captured his thoughts by just standing there. "But I'm ready this time, so bring it"

"Sure you are" Heidi said standing at the edge of the half court as Randy took a defensive stance in front of her.

Heidi threw the ball at her opponent and he threw it right back, signalling the start of the round. With a battle cry Randy charged at Heidi, once again his hands meeting empty air. Every dodge, every redirect frustrated Randy even more, but at the same time he couldn't keep his eyes off the girl who masterfully evaded all of his swipes, his stomach feeling lighter and lighter the longer he stared.

Randy roared in exertion making one last lung at Heidi, daring a glance at her cool under pressure face once more he found himself captivated once more, tripping on his own feet. As he fell to the ground he looked up to see Heidi smirk at him and throw the ball, which landed in the hoop with incredible accuracy. Randy realized she could have just thrown the ball from there and was dodging and evading Randy to just to mess with him, it caused the fire in his chest to burn brighter, but whether that fire was anger, frustration, admiration or something else he wasn't sure. He slapped the ground and got up, breathing hard, face scrunched up in frustration.

"Might as well give up now shoob" Heidi taunted as she took her position once again. "I just need one more win"

Randy huffed as he stood in front of her, once again on defense. Heidi threw the ball at him, he caught it ready to throw it back, signalling the start of the possibly last round, but the shaking of his hands around the ball caught his attention.

 _You keep losing because you keep letting your emotions control you again, you've got to clear your mind like I told you_ , the ninja's advice echoed in his mind.

"Hey! Can we start please?" Heidi asked, tapping her foot on the ground.

"Yeah…yeah" Randy replied, taking a deep breath.

The second the ball left Randy's hand he exhaled and closed his eyes, only for a moment, only to open a second later, the storm behind them gone. His heart calmed, his stance steady he lowered his brow and released all the tension in his body.

Heidi raised an eyebrow for a second before shrugging her opponent's actions off. Her hands caught the ball and she made a mad dash to the right. Randy followed, attempting to intercept, just as she predicted.

In an instant she changed direction, aiming to use Randy's confusion. This one was in the bag, but to the high school ninja's great surprise Randy had saw through her feint and had changed directions himself. Her breathe was trapped in her lungs as Randy was now face to face with her, her mind blanked out for a second, only working again when she noticed how close his hand was to the ball. Naturally she retreated, and he followed.

Randy gave Heidi no breathing room, taking advantage of confusion he's caused her. Always directly in front of her, using his wider and taller body to block all directions, hands ready to make a swipe or a feint, feet constantly on the move.

To say Heidi was surprised at the fact Randy could keep up with her would be an understatement. What freaked her out even more was his face, she expected a face of frustration, of anger, of _jealousy_ , and instead she got a determined jaw and calm eyes. Lost in her own confusion her hand slipped, the ball only a few inches out of her grip, but it was enough.

Randy seized his opportunity and grabbed the ball, changing direction in an instant. Sprinting and dribbling like a mad man towards the ring, Heidi hot on his tail. He jumped with all his might (well all his non-superpowered might), slamming the ball into the ring and hanging there for a few seconds as the backboard shuddered from the force of his dunk.

"Yeah Cunningham!" Cheered Howard.

Randy dropped from the ring and landed right in front of Heidi, a mocking grin on his face.

"Don't count your chickens before they hatch, you still need 2 points to win and I need just 1 " Heidi said, shoving Randy slightly with her shoulder as she walked past him and picked up the ball.

"I didn't even say anything" Randy replied, smugness in his voice. He walked over to the offense side of the court, ready to receive the ball.

"You're just so predictable, I knew you would have said something" Heidi said, standing in front of him, her turn to be on defense. "Play ball"

"We don't say play ball in basketball" Randy said, smirking.

"Whatever" Heidi rolled her eyes and threw the ball into Randy's hands, signalling the start of the fourth and hopefully final round for Heidi.

A crowd had now gathered around the court, watching intently at the intense game. No one could blame them, every move either one of them made was electrifying, but the crowd really got into it when Randy had upped his game, the crowd was drawn in by how their movements clashed but at the same time were very in sync, it even drew the attention of a certain highschool gym teacher.

The rorg club now officially Heidi's personal cheering squad, while Howard took bets on who would win this bout.

Randy seemingly lunged, making Heidi flinch and draw back. Randy's true intent was revealed when he actually banked right and tried to take advantage of Heidi's surprise. But Heidi did not let her shock stop her long, she was already moving to intercept. In an instant Randy changed direction, Heidi wasting no time doing the same. And the two did this dance for a while, until Heidi smirked, a plan forming in her head.

Randy turned keeping the ball to himself, Heidi on his back, her arms sprayed out wide.

"It's kind of embarrassing isn't it?" Heidi said with her smuggest voice. "This is literally the first time I've ever played basketball and you are getting the wonk kicked out of you, you must have really sucked before"

Heidi caught that little glare Randy flashed her and she smirked. _Now we just wait until he loses his temper and comes charging in all reckless_ , she thought watching as he turned slightly, prepared with a counter for when he tried to barrel past her, _And here he goes coming at me and throwing the ball under him-WAIT UNDER HIM?!_ , she mentally gasped.

Heidi was already ready to steal the ball once he tried to just directly push past her, she was not however ready for him to throw the ball below himself causing it to bounce between the two teens legs. At the same time she felt Randy escape her defense, he did both in such a smooth and fluid motion she didn't know where to look, by the time she realized she had to go for the ball he had already gotten a head start.

The ball was already in his grasp so Heidi decided to ditch it and run ahead of Randy, moonlighting as the ninja might not have made her as strong as Randy but she was definitely faster and more agile. She stopped directly below the ring, turning to Randy just in time to see him leap into the air, attempting another dunk.

She crouched ready to jump and intercept, but she saw the fire in his eyes, his muscles tensed at his grip on the ball, and she flinched.

Heidi fell on her butt as Randy completed another dunk, evening out their scores. He landed right beside her and cocked his head at her.

Instead of a mocking expression like Heidi expected she got one of concern instead. Randy extended his hand to her, half smiling at her.

"Last round" Randy said. "Tie breaker time"

"Hmpf" Heidi pouted, about to shoo his hand.

"C'mon, don't be like that" Randy said, extending his arm further towards the girl.

The red head sighed and took his hand, allowing him to pull her up. Randy pulled a little too hard, accidentally bringing her face far too close to his. A burning sensation invaded Randy's cheeks, reflexively pushing the girl away from himself.

The girl in question raised her hands in surprise as she was shoved away, raising an eyebrow at the boy who had pulled her up then pushed her away.

Seeing the confusion on her face, Randy nervously scratched the back of his head. Fearing he may have insulted her by practically shoving her, he desperately looked for another topic to distract them, anything, so he said the first thing that came to mind.

"Y-you could have blocked me" He announced, his voice cracking. _Why did my voice crack? What the juice is going on with me?_ He asked himself mentally.

"Excuse me" Heidi asked, shrugging off Randy's weird behaviour and wondering what he was going on about.

"When I was gonna dunk" Randy explained, his heart rate finally calming. "You were ahead of me, you could have blocked my shot, if you jumped, but you didn't"

Heidi frowned. "Because I knew it wasn't going to work"

"And how'd you know that?" Randy asked.

"I just did" Heidi answered, her face cringing slightly in annoyance. "You're stronger than me, I couldn't have blocked it"

"But you didn't even try?"

"Look I just knew I couldn't Ok?"

"I'm not supposed to say this because, well you know, I'm playing against you and all…" Randy said, turning the ball in his hands. "But you were amazing out there, so I wouldn't have been surprised if you could block me, just saying"

Heidi's brows raised at the compliment she had just received. "You're supposed to say this stuff after I kick your butt, now while you're—"

"Kicking your butt?"

"Don't push it" She giggled. "But that's pretty cool of you though"

"What is?" Randy pursed his lips.

"I expected you to be mad" Heidi explained. "That I was better than you—"

"Now who's pushing it?"

"-Despite this being my first time playing" Heidi continued, smiling mischievously at the purple haired boy.

"Well I was" Randy shrugged. "But it's not exactly your fault I'm not doing so hot right now, is it?"

Heidi's eyes drifted to the floor slowly, contemplating what Randy has just said, that was until Howard interrupted them.

"Stop trying to sike him out Heidi!" Howard bellowed as he walked over and pushed Randy away, Howard slung his arm around Randy and pulled him close so he could whisper in Randy's ear. "You're doing great Cunningham, just toast my sisters' cheese in this round and I'll be $30 richer"

Randy rolled his eyes at Howard before walking away and taking the offensive stance again as Heidi took the defense. Both teens let out a steady breath as they steeled themselves.

The crowd held there breathe as the ball left Heidi's hands and entered Randy's, the final match beginning. In the blink of an eye both players were in a flurry of movements.

To the onlookers it must have looked like the two were in a flash of movements, so intricate and so smooth the eyes were barely able to interpret them. But to Heidi and Randy their minds were so clear they could see each other's moves so clear that they already had counter attack upon counter attack.

To the crowd it was like a dance that was unfolding in front of their very eyes. Both teens matching each other movements, step for step, it was hypnotizing how in synch they were. The ball switched hands numerous times as the two battled it out for possession of the basketball.

Randy and Heidi backed away from each other, as Randy dribbled the ball. Randy broke into an ear splitting grin once he noticed Heidi too was smiling.

"Let's finish this" Randy said.

"Couldn't agree more" Heidi replied. As they charged each other.

"Shocka-zam!" Randy yelled the famous catch phrase from the Rorg TV show as he jumped into the air to dunk.

Once again Heidi was in her previous predicament. She watched in slow motion as Randy sailed through the air, remembering how she did nothing to try and block him. Randy's words echoed in her as she took the leap.

A loud clap boomed as her palm hit the ball as well, it felt like minutes as the two stayed in the air battling for control of the ball, both yelling their battle cries.

The ball slipped from their grasps as they ended up colliding in the air, and falling to the ground, the ball rolling out of the court.

Randy and Heidi had landed in a tangled mess of limbs as they lay on the ground. Heidi cracked an eye open, noticing that she was on top of Randy, their faces mere inches away.

Randy stared at Heidi, his breathing soft and slow as he took her in. Her hair was all messy and jutting out of her ponytail, she was covered in and reeked of sweat, but the way she played, the way she moved and smiled during their match sent Randy's heart a flutter. Try as he might he couldn't pull his eyes away from those beautiful blue eyes.

There was something about the way Randy was staring at her, something different. Randy's eyes bore into Heidi's as if looking directly into her soul and sending a warm feeling through it. Heidi could barely describe the feeling that Randy was stirring within her, uncomfortable definitely wasn't the word, it was something else, something that made her heart skip a beat.

"That was excellent!" They heard someone say.

Both teens stood swiftly once they realized that there were people around them and they had been staring at each other for quite a while. As they got up they lingered at letting go of each other's hand, but finally doing so and missing the feeling.

They both turned to see the source of the voice. Standing before them was none other than the norisville high gym teacher, and occasional psychopath, coach green.

"Now now, move along children" He announced to the rest of the onlookers as they collectively grumbled and whined at the show being over. "You too Mr. Weinerman"

"Ugh!" Howard threw his hands up. "Now I'm going to have to give back all the money! So wonk!"

"Well if you leave now I promise not to bring up your little gambling game with your parents" Coach Green replied, still chipper despite threatening Howard.

Howard merely sighed and trudged towards the other kid who were waiting for their money back, mumbling something about meeting Randy later.

"You two were electric out there!" Coach Green announced to the two teens.

"Um thanks?" Heidi said, scratching the back of her head, casting a glance at Randy who she caught staring at her. Randy quickly turned away his cheeks turning red as Heidi felt her slightly warm too.

"You two were so good together in fact, that I want to invite you to join a little display we're making for the Sentinels party in a few weeks!" Coach Green explained, as he pulled out a brochure with the party's program on it. "I was tasked with getting and training members for the synchronized group waltz that would begin this little soirée, and I only need two more, and you're both it!"

Heidi's mouth opened and closed like a fish as she tried to wrap her head around what their coach had just told them. "You want me and him? To dance together?"

"Absolutely!" Coach Green happily said.

"Huh what?" Randy spoke up for the first time, having been staring at Heidi the entire conversation and just now understanding the situation.

"You heard" Coach Green said. "You two were so in synch that I-Hold on" He said as he raised a finger and picked up his vibrating phone.

"Hmmm…Don't come in…..Monster attack at school?...Well the kids will be disappointed that I'm going to have to cancel hop scorch tomorrow…..yeah maybe the ninja and that Sentinel bloke will fix it up before it destroys the gym…see you later" Coach Green conversed on the phone. Randy and Heidi sweating the whole conversation, knowing they had to book it to the school.

"Well as I was saying-"Coach Green tried to say before Randy and Heidi interrupted.

"Sorry Coach!" Heidi announced

"I can't really stay" Randy said.

"Yeah! I have to go too" Heidi added. "I have a um thing to get to"

"Me too" Randy announced, cocking an eyebrow at Heidi but shrugged it off in the end.

"Well too bad!" Coach Green said, his upbeat attitude not leaving. "I won't take no for an answer, how about a coupon at Charlie cluckers? Would that change your mind?"

"Oh my cheese!" Heidi snapped. "If you let me go right now then yes! I'll do it"

"And your answer Mr. Cunningham?" Coach Green asked, mentally high fiving himself.

"Um…" He took another glance at Heidi before gulping. "Uh, yeah sure, I mean why not?"

"Simply stupendous!" Coach Green said. "I'll see you both tomorrow after school!"

"Yeah cool whatever!" Heidi said before sprinting away.

Randy merely shrugged at the confused coach before running away himself.

Sentinel arrived at the school entrance and looked around for his partner.

"Hey" a voice called out to him as he looked up noticing her on top of a tree. The ninja dropped down beside him. "You ready?"

"As I'll ever be" Sentinel replied. "So I'll look for civilians and you—"

"What are you talking about?" The ninja asked. "We're both taking that thing down, together"

"Really?!" Randy asked, unable to keep the excitement from his voice. "You are the cheese ninja!"

"Yeah yeah, and…" Ninja shuffled nervously. "I'm sorry…"

Sentinel smiled underneath his helmet. "Apology accepted"

* * *

" _S-so there we were, those two scientists tried to fight us off but we knocked them out and tied them up, we covered the entire place in gas, ready to throw the match down"_

It was late at night as Scott wrote down Stanley's story down on his journal, he had decided to make one to catalogue his investigations progress, but it was more of a diary. The real evidence and break throughs' such as the confessions of Stanley's men went into a folder in his computer marked 'evidence', the journal was more of a record of his progress and his thoughts during his search for the truth.

" _Then one of my men said he saw a kid, I swear we didn't know there was a kid, I swear ok. The kid tried to do something, he held his hands out but nothing happened so he scrammed, I knew we couldn't let him get away so I told my men to get out of here while I got the kid. I'll never forget what happened next, it was dark and I-I got lost, I heard a crash and a scream come from another room and I knew it was the kid so I went into what I'm pretty sure was a lab but what I saw was definitely no kid"_

Scott paused, tapping the pen on the page debating on whether to include the next part. What Stanley described seemed pretty farfetched, but in a world where a ninja can live for 800 years and a 14 year old can soar in the sky and shoot fire from his eyes he decided that anything was possible.

" _It was dark and I was broken glass and some sort of weird liquid on the floor, then I saw it. I thought it was the kid at first, I mean it was the same height as the kid but….then it turned its head to me and I knew this was definitely no kid I've ever seen. It didn't have eyes just these two c-circles of light on its face that's the only thing that was on its black body no eyes no mouth no nothing else, its body was the darkest black I had ever seen it freaked me out man! It took a step towards me and I panicked, I grabbed my gun and unloaded a few rounds on it but it kept coming, my bullets went right through it, well not through it because the bullets never came out the back, it's like they just stayed in its body._

" _Next thing I know I'm panicking and firing as many bullets as possible one of 'em misses and ricochets off the floor and onto the table of chemicals and the whole table burst into fire, I should have booked it right there and then, but the thing kept coming towards me, I tripped and tried to crawl away. Before I knew it the fire had spread and the whole building was threatening to go down so I crawled and crawled while that thing kept walking towards me all while the gas we spread did its job. Soon I was crawling through an inferno of a house, but I was almost at the door, just a little more and I'd be out of this freak show, then it caught me._

" _I don't know how it caught up so fast but there it was, it grabbed my leg just as I grabbed the door and next thing I knew it was like a thousand needles were running through my legs veins, through the pain I cracked a glance at my leg and I nearly vomited, it's like the thing was eating it with its hands, my leg was just going into its hands and disappearing, I screamed and tried to ignore the pain as my boys noticed my delay, I pushed myself past the door as my boys saw me flop out, I didn't give them time to ask what happened I barked at them to go and we ran, last thing I saw from the back of our getaway van was the fire disappearing, but like it was being sucked back into the house….."_

"…And that's how it went down" Scott mouthed as he finished writing down Stanley's story and ran a hand through his hair as he sighed, twirling his pen in hand.

His phone began ringing, causing him to close his journal and pick it up.

"Hello?" Scott asked.

"Scott, it's bobby I got u the program you needed to hack that thumb drive" The person on the other end of the phone said. "I've sent it to you already"

Scott opened his email and found the email with the rather large attachment file with it. "Thanks Bobby"

"Don't thank me yet" Bobby said. "The schematics u sent me showed me exactly what kind of security that thumb drive has, I was still able to make a program that could crack it, problem is I don't have a computer with the processing power to use said program, and I doubt you do either"

Scott scowled at the bad news. "So now what? Do I just go to like a computer shop and order one?"

"Doubt they'd have one of that strength Scott, I'm talking massive computing power here and there's only one computer with that kind of power" Bobby replied, waiting a beat before continuing. "And it's at the very place you work"

"Hooooo boy" Scott groaned, he knew what Bobby was talking about, Viceroy's one of a kind super McComputer. Problem was only Viceroy was allowed to use it, if anyone other than him did they could get into some **serious** trouble.

"So yeah" Bobby continued. "Sorry man"

"Don't be" Scott replied, accepting what he had to do. "You did more than enough. Now I gotta figure out how to get my hands on that computer, thanks again Bobby"

After hearing Bobby's good bye Scott put away his phone, took his journal and stood up, he decided he needed a snack and he stepped out of his room, only to notice Randy's door was open.

He peeked through to see Randy hunched over his computer, with his back turned towards Scott and the door.

"Randy?" Scott asked, causing Randy to jump in fear. Randy turned instantly, his face flushed as if he was caught with his hands in the cookie jar, making Scott fear the worst.

"Randy I know you're at _that_ age" Scott said, avoiding Randy's eyes. "But you're not looking up stuff that would put a superheroes name to shame are you?"

"What?!" Randy screamed indignantly, his face gaining a red tint. "What the juice Scott no!"

"Then what…"

"Here" Randy moved so Scott could see what he was looking up on the web. Scott raised an eyebrow in surprise and relief when he saw Randy was at a medical site.

"I think I'm sick Scott" Randy explained, visibly exhaling. "So I'm trying to figure out what's wrong with me"

"Really?" Scott's brow creased in worry. "What's wrong with you?"

"Well, I'm not sure, my palms get really sweaty and my heart feels like it's gonna crack my ribs" Randy explained. "And I keep feeling like I'm going to puke"

Scott stared at Randy for a beat, his eyes narrowed. "And these symptoms do they happen randomly or when you're with someone?" Scott asked.

"Huh?" Randy asked, wondering the relevance of that question. After putting some thought to it he realized that they _did_ only happen when he was around a certain someone.

The look on Randy's face was all Scott needed to know his answer. "Randy, you're not sick, you have a crush!"

Randy's face lit up in realization. "I have a crush, of course! Wait?! What?!"

"Oh this is so cute" Scott said sitting next to Randy. "So who is it?"

Randy casted a nervous glance at the window of his next door neighbour, one that did not escape Scott observant eyes.

"It's that Weinerman girl!"

"No!"

"Yes!"

"No! She's not! I don't!" Randy attempted to explain, as his brain fizzled out.

"It's OK Randy, this is totally normal for a boy your age" Scott said, putting a hand on Randy's shoulder. "So when are you gonna ask her out?"

"I uhh-Hey what's that?" Randy said, trying to change the subject and grabbing Scott's journal before Scott could stop him.

Scott stared on in fear as Randy read his journal, fearing at Randy's reaction to Stanley's story of how they killed his parents.

Seconds felt like hours as he watched Randy's face scrunch up, before Randy finally opened his mouth to talk.

"Scott your diary is impossible to read" Randy remarked turning the journal over as if that would decipher it. "Your handwriting is so wonk, I can barely understand any of this"

Scott breathed a sigh of relief as he took the journal back. "You think so?" Scott asked after realizing he too would have trouble reading his own handwriting at certain times.

"Yeah dude" Randy said. "Well, it's not exactly the cheese Scott"

Scott hummed in thought.

"You should do what my dad always did" Randy said. "Keep a video diary"

"A video diary?" Scott repeated.

"Yeah, he made a bunch of those" Randy continued. "I mean that's also the main way he documented all his experiments"

"Oh?" Scott said, his eyebrow raised. "And where are these videos?"

"The juice if I know" Randy said shrugging. "Mcfist said his men couldn't find any of them, so I guess they just got burnt to ash like my house"

Scott nodded at this new information. "I think I'll do that, the video diary thing" Scott said as he got up. "Well it's late and I'm sure you have a whole night of thinking about that Weinerman girl to look forward too, you should really invite her over sometime"

Randy grumbled as his face turned red. "Good night Scott"

"Good night kid"

Over at Heidi's bedroom, Heidi was doing something other than sleeping.

She stood on her hand with her feet in the air as she lowered herself and pushed herself back up, repeating the process multiple times.

 _But it's not exactly your fault I'm not doing so hot right now, is it?,_ Randy's words echoed in her head.

"That means it's mine" Heidi said to herself as she continued her push ups.

* * *

 **Whatcha think? Leave your reviews!**

 **And if any of u leave a review like "next chapter will be next year"**

 **THEN I…completely understand and that is a valid complaint and once again I'm sorry :/**

 **I'll try and do better! I know I said that before too but I'll try extra hard this time, this I swear!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Told u guys I would update faster! Haha**

 **I was totally expecting some angry reviews, but instead I got u sweet reviewers, I don't deserve u :D**

 **Anyway onto the next chap**

* * *

The ninja stood atop a school building, eyes peeled for her partners' entrance, an entrance she was sure was going to be dramatic.

"Eagle one, where are you?" The ninja asked, activating her wireless intercom on her ear.

"Eagle one?" She heard him reply. "I thought I was Alpha one?"

"No we agreed on Eagle one, remem-You know what? Never mind" The ninja replied, exasperatedly. "What's your position?"

"History classroom wall" Sentinel Replied, the ninja casting a glance there definitely hearing the sounds of a struggle. "And I'm coming in hot!"

In an explosion of brick, Sentinel and his opponent burst through the class rooms' wall out into the open where the ninja could now join the fray. Sentinel's heels skidded as he came to a halt, his opponent tumbling away end over end. The ninja jumped down and joined him.

"The juice exactly is that thing?" The ninja asked as they watched their opponent getting up. "I when my inbox blew up with news of something attacking the seniors gym class I figured it'd be another monster, but this…"

"Is a robot, so honkin bruce right?!" Sentinel interrupted. "I mean look at this thing, it's got the wires and the bruce color scheme and everything"

'bruce' wasn't exactly the word the ninja would have used, bizarre was more like it. She had battled a plethora of beasts and monsters but never a robot, the only robots she knew about came from McFist, but they were harmless worker robot that resembled apes. But lo and behold, there before them stood a 7 foot high robot with a battle ready body and the head of a rhino, which the ninja found extremely odd.

"What does it do?" The ninja asked. "Anything weird?"

"Well I mean, it has a rhino head but it still walks on two legs and tries to punch me, I consider that pretty weird" Randy answered.

"Anything else" The ninja asked again, hoping for an actual answer.

"Well it has been trying to hit me with this purple laser from its horn for a while" Randy said. "But I kept dodging it"

"Any idea what it does?"

"I'm too slick to be hit, so I have no clue"

"You want slick? I'll show u slick" The ninja announced rolling her shoulders.

"Be my guest" Sentinel said, bowing and motioning towards the robot.

The ninja dashed towards the robot, said robot stamped its foot 3 times before charging towards its opponent as well. Seconds before collision the ninja slid under the robot legs, but not without wrapping the end of her scarf to its horn. In an instant she jumped over the robot doing a flip, the robot tried to swing at the ninja, unfortunately for it the ninja dodged and wrapped the bots fist in her scarf, this went on for a while, the robot lunging, the ninja using her evasive skills to dodge and wrap more and more of her scarf around her foe. Eventually the robot was all tied up, the ninja skidding away from it.

With a mighty huff she pulled at her scarf with all her strength, spinning and spinning, the robotic rhino was soon lifted off the ground as the ninja continued to spin.

"Fast ball! Coming at you!" The ninja announced at Sentinel. She let go, her scarf unravelling from the robot as it sailed through the air, flailing towards the Sentinel.

"Going! Going!" Sentinel said, jumping from heel to heel waiting for the robots arrival. He threw a mighty punch just as it reached him, socking it right in the chest and sending it back to the ninja. "Gone!"

It landed right in front of the ninja's feet, its chest completely obliterated, the light in its robotic eyes gone.

"Well, that's that" The ninja said, dusting off her hands, but something caught her eye. She noticed that its eye began to flicker with light once again, she leaned in closer to see. "What the—"

She was interrupted by the rhino's horn suddenly turning and aiming at her, then blasting her with a purple light. She screamed as she staggered backwards.

"Ninja!" Sentinel screamed, he dashed to her side. Gripping her shaking sides. "Are you ok?"

The world dimmed around the ninja, every color beginning to tint towards a dark red, the color of blood. Her breathing hitched, her skin became cold as she shook violently, her heart beating a million miles a second.

 _Ninja!,_ she hears someone scream at her side, she turned to see the Sentinel. She stared at her own reflection, she watched as the whites of her eyes turned black and her pupils turned yellow, that's when the truly terrifying thing happen. Sentinel's eye glowed bright red, the lower half of his helmet cracking and transforming into a hideous mouth with razor sharp teeth, dribbling black saliva.

In a fit of fear she shoved him off and stumbled backwards. He only opened his mouth wider as the black liquid oozed out even further, she stepped backwards but tripped on something, landing on her butt. She cast her scared eyes down and bit back a scream as she saw her own shadow had grown a limb and was clutching her ankle. She kicked him off and promptly scampered away.

"Ninja what's wrong?" Sentinel asked, his voice filled with worry. Unfortunately this was not what the ninja would be hearing.

" _Why are you still here ninja?"_ The ninja heard a distorted voice come out of the Sentinel. _"You're not needed anymore, now that I'm here"_

"S-shut up!" The ninja bellowed, her fear mixing with new anger that rose from her belly. "You're wrong!"

To say Sentinel was worried about the ninja was like saying a smokebomb only smelled _a little_ bad. Not only was she spouting gibberish at him, he had also witnessed her pupils turn yellow and her sclera turn pitch black. He eyed her carefully, watching her jumpy and frantic hand movements.

Heidi witnessed the hand again, but this time on Sentinels shadow. The hand grasped at the air until it found the ground, pushing itself up the rest of the hands body emerged, first a long slender black arm, next a torso draped in a black lab coat, then finally a featureless black mask.

The black lab coated man had arrived, his eyes too shining bright red lights, she watched as his black lab coat ripped apart and transformed into bat wings and his face grow long black horns.

" _I thought I told you ninja, you're a relic, a thing of the past, and you don't matter anymore"_ The ninja trembled with fear and rage, rage at the accusation and fear at the validity of it. _"You're nothing, the same as all your work amounts to with us around, nothing. All because you aren't strong enough"_

"I AM STRONG!" The ninja growled, her brow scrunched hard at the rage that now shook her entire body. "And I'll prove it to you!"

She pulled out her ninja sword and took a fighting stance. The twisted Sentinel creature and the black clad monster turned into liquid and swirled together, forming a four armed, two headed amalgamation of both. The ninja charged, using her rage to overpower her fear, yelling a blood curdling battle cry.

"Ninja, what the juice!?" Sentinel said as he dodged a fearsome swipe that nearly chopped his head off. Sentinel barely dodged numerous fatal slashes, a few made it to him, giving him some new stinging cuts to tend to later.

Meanwhile the robotic rhino was crawling away, its arm and face being the only functioning part of its body. As it moved it continued to stare at the ninja and Sentinel's fight, its robotic eye zooming in and transmitting the fight to its masters.

The ninja roared as she continued to hack and slash, determined to turn Sentinel into itty bitty sentinel cubes. Sentinel tried to dodge every swing, but even with the ninja's anger making her swigs erratic, she was still faster than him. A flash of silver came down too quick for Sentinel to dodge and he felt the stinging sensation of a deep cut pierce his chest, he jumped back to put some distance between him and his partner.

Looking down he winced, his suit had been covered in cuts, the biggest one coming from the ninja's latest swipe. He wasn't bleeding as bad as he thought he was, but it still stung. Looking down as the blood on his chest and the blood lust in the ninja's eyes convinced Sentinel that he'd have to get a little rowdy with her.

He used his hands to make a 'Give me your best shot gesture' which enraged her even more. She swung with all her strength only for Sentinel to not dodge like she was expecting, instead he threw a powerful punch directly at the ninja's hands, causing her to yelp as her hand stung and she let go of the sword just before it struck Sentinel. Wasting no time he threw a powerful bear hug around the ninja. She squirmed and wriggled and roared but she couldn't match Sentinel's strength.

Unbeknownst to them the ninja's sword had flew through the air and landed just in front of the escaping rhino bot, just a few inches from impaling its head. Its robotic eye/camera zoomed in on it, it reached for the sword.

"Ninja! Snap out of it!" Sentinel yelled into the ninja's ear. For some reason this seemed to anger her even more as she then started a string of curses that brought a red hue to Sentinels cheeks.

Having enough of this, Sentinel reared his head back and gave a mighty head butt to the back of the ninja's head. She yelled in pain as she was bonked, knocking her out, she slumped in Sentinel's arms and stayed there unmoving. Sentinel heaved a sigh of relief as he set her down slowly.

He waited for a minute for her to regain consciousness, as the seconds ticked by he grew worried he might have put a little too much force into that head-butt, seconds turned to minutes as he began to freak out. He needed to check her breathing but he'd have to remove her mask for that. _I can't just invade her secret identity like that, I mean sure she knows my secret identity…and I put my complete trust and faith in her but…why doesn't she share her secret identity with me? In fact she doesn't share anything with me does she?_ , he had buried his feeling of hurt weeks ago, trying not to think about the fact the ninja still did not see him as an equal, but they came rushing back now, _well it's to see if she's still alive, she'd understand right? Plus again, she knows my identity I think I deserve to know hers_.

He reached out for the edge of her mask, swallowing nervously. He screamed when the ninja's hand grabbed his own quicker than lightning, and her eyes flung open, still black as the night with pupils yellow as the sun. Suddenly the darkness left her eyes as they returned to their normal blue color once again. The ninja shook her head and shoved Randy away from her.

"Get off of me!" She bellowed, as Randy staggered backwards. She huffed and breathed hard, expecting Sentinel to transform again.

"I-I was just trying to help" He assured, maybe more to himself than to the ninja.

"No you honking weren't" The ninja accused, adrenaline still coursing through her veins. "You were trying to sneak a peek at my secret identity like a shoob"

Sentinel was about to argue, when he realized that he had almost totally broken her trust. A wave of guilt made him lower his head in shame. "You're right, I'm sorry. I let my own hurt feelings control me"

 _Hurt feelings?_ The ninja's anger evaporated after hearing that, the pit of her stomach churned as she realized their partnership wasn't exactly fair.

"J-just, don't let it happen again" The ninja said, she looked and finally noticed the cut on Sentinel's chest. "Did I do that?"

Sentinel glanced down, having completely forgotten the wound up until now.

"Sorry" The ninja continued, scratching the back of her head. "I don't know what came over me"

"It's OK" Sentinel shrugged. "Any idea why you lost your cheese?"

"Fuzzy" The ninja replied, digging into her sash. "I just remember a flash of purple and then everything turned red and…it's hard to explain" The ninja shuddered, still reeling from her horrific visions.

"If you don't want to talk about it, we won't" Sentinel offered, noticing the ninja shakiness.

"Thanks" The ninja replied sincerely, she then pulled out a roll of ninja bandages (which were just like normal bandages but with the norisu symbol on them). "You want any help?"

"Thanks, but I can do it myself" Sentinel replied, ninja shrugged in response as she tossed him the bandages. "Robo-rhino got away though"

"Bummer" the ninja lamented, looking around for it. _Oh my cheese!_ The ninja realized, _It took my sword, ugh, Randy's not gonna let me live this down, better just get a new one from Mr. Smith._

"No training today" The ninja announced. "I've got something to do"

"Cool, cool" Sentinel replied, relieved. Today after school Heidi and he would have their synchronized waltz practice, this was the first one they were going to attend so they had some catching up to do because coach green recruited them late. A small smile and minor blush crossed Randy's face as he realized he would be dancing with Heidi.

"So I'll see you later" Sentinel waved as he flew away.

"You sure will" The ninja replied as she threw down a smoke bomb.

* * *

"It worked!" Mcfist exclaimed, having watched the entire fight on the camera that was on the Rhinosaurus's eye.

"It worked on the ninja sir" Viceroy sighed. "The boy merely assumed he wasn't hit, the truth was he was hit multiple times, it just didn't affect him"

"What?!" Mcfist bellowed, his excitement turning into anger. "Why the juice?!"

"I've been running some tests, and it seems his healing powers work on a much deeper level than we thought" Viceroy explained, rolling to the side of the table and placing his eye on a microscope. "His regeneration attacks any foreign element that sticks to his blood cells, so the fear formula—"

"I still think we should call it murder formula"

"-Doesn't have enough the time to multiply and overwhelm his healing powers" Viceroy continued, sighing as he watched through the microscope the Randy's blood cells attack and destroy the fear formula before it could spread.

"Damn it!" Mcfist yelled in anger. "I need more time to get stronger Viceroy! Once my powers are strong enough, WHAMO!" Mcfist said, punching his palm for emphasis. "Bye bye Sentinel punk! But I need more time"

"Sir that's it!" Viceroy exclaimed, his mind racing at the solution Mcfist presented.

"It is?"

"Yes sir! More time, of course it was so simple" Viceroy continued as he rolled on his chair towards his chemistry equipment on the other side of the table with Mcfist fowling. "I disguise the fear formula in his bloodstream, keeping it dormant, while it's dormant it amasses power so when it's finally activated it would have gotten too strong for Randy's healing powers to stop!"

Viceroy raised an expectant eyebrow at Mcfist.

"What?" Mcfist asked.

"I thought for sure you would take credit fo-"

"OH RIGHT! I'm a genius!"

"Of course" Viceroy said dryly. "There is a problem though…"

"There always is isn't there?" Mcfist asked exasperatedly,

"To trigger the dormant formula the subject would have to go through extreme emotional distress" Viceroy explained.

"We'll get to it" Mcfist said picking up one of Viceroy's scalpels and playing with it out of boredom.

"It's not that simple sir" Viceroy said. Mcfist was about to answer when the computer alerted them to the fact Rhinosaurus had returned, with the ninja sword in hand.

"Sir, why did you make my robot steal the ninja's sword?" Viceroy asked, raising an eyebrow at Mcfist.

"To mess with her of course!" Mcfist said, grinning evilly as if he had just kicked twelve puppied in front of the ninja and Sentinel. "Also souvenir"

"I see" Viceroy replied, rolling his eyes at his boss. Viceroy looked in worry as Mcfist spun the scalpel in his hand. "Sir be careful with—"

"OW!" Mcfist exclaimed, accidentally cutting his palm. He looked closely at his cut palm, but realized he had said 'ow' in reflex and not as an actual reaction, looking at his palm he saw no blood, only some loose skin and a shiny blue surface underneath?

"I tried to warn you sir" Viceroy said condescendingly.

"Whatever" Mcfist forced a shrug, hiding his hand. "Just get that stuff to work on the Sentinel alright"

"I'll think of something sir" Viceroy assured, watching as the robo-apes took the ninja's sword for storage. "Oh, I'll think of something"

* * *

Heidi chugged down a bottle of water in the kitchen, she had just finished a work out session and needed rehydration. She wiped her lips as she finished off the bottle of cool water, she checked her watch and reckoned she had a few more minutes before she had to go to dance practice. She heard the door creak and turned in its direction. Emerging from the door was Howard.

"Hey Howard" Heidi greeted, capping the bottle and placing it on the table.

"You're still here?" Howard asked as he walked over to the cupboards.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Heidi asked back as she noticed Howard taking out ingredients for a sandwich.

Howard shrugged as he spread jam all over a slice of bread. "Aren't you usually at your date with your super powered boyfriend right about now?"

Heidi's head snapped in Howard's direction as she felt her face warm. "We are not like that, it's-it's strictly professional" She argued, hoping Howard hadn't heard the rise in her voice.

"Wow, chill" Howard raised his hands in defense. "I called him your boyfriend last week too, but you didn't wonk out that time, makes me think you might actually have a thing for him"

"I don't" Heidi denied furiously.

"Uh-huh" Howard replied, a smirk on his lips. "Do you guys make out with your masks on or?"

"Just shut up you shoob" Heidi barked. "Plus if we didn't wear masks while we did he'd know my secret identity…" She mumbled, unfortunately it didn't go unheard.

"Woah wait he doesn't your secret identity?" Howard asked, an eyebrow raised in disapproval. "And you know his?"

"Well….yeah" Heidi answered, eyes drawn to the ground.

"That's…completely unfair Heidi" Howard commented. "If I was him whoever he is, I'd be totally offended"

"Hey! It's for a really good reason" Heidi argued. "I just can't tell you"

"Sure" Howard snickered as he took a bite of his sandwich. "Y'know what I think?"

"Please enlighten me" Heidi said sarcastically.

"I think, you're still a little bitter about him being stronger and cooler than you" Howard answered, chewing as he answered, getting crumbs everywhere. "You're probably just being petty, because you want to hold something over him, like a shoob"

"No!" Heidi shot back. "That's not it…"

"It's not?"

"No it's not, I mean maybe, I don't know"

"Why do you do it if you don't actually know?"

"You wouldn't understand ok" Heidi sneered. "You're just a Howard, you don't know what it's like to be a superhero"

"Okay first off, that is very rude, I beat my gravepunching high-score yesterday" Howard explained, faking hurt. "One could say that is very superhero like, second explain it to me then"

"You just wouldn't understand" Heidi said again, putting her foot down. "I'm going to go do some extra training in the nomicon before I go"

She would never admit it especially to Howard, but there was some weight to what Howard was saying. She still felt inferior to Sentinel in a few ways, the fact she knew his secret identity and he didn't know hers helped that a little. She felt as if giving Sentinel her identity would strip her of all the power she had over him left, allowing him to realize that she was not as strong as him, because without the mask she was still human, and that left Heidi feeling vulnerable and bare, she hated that feeling.

As she opened the ancient ninja manual Howard spoke before she was shloomped in. "Heidi, I'm like 100% sure this Sentinel guy is on our side, do you think so too?"

Heidi lingered, but she already knew the answer to this question. "Yes I do"

"Then trust the guy a little"

Heidi bit her cheek as she casted a glance to Howard then back to the nomicon, with a sigh she allowed herself to be shloomped in, falling and conking her head on the kitchen table and falling to the ground.

Howard sighed, grabbed his sandwich and walked out the door.

* * *

Scott waited patiently in one of the many corridors inside Mcfist Industries, but he where he waited was important. He had just watched Viceroy go into his lab where the kept the super McComputer and Scott waited patiently for Greg, one of Scott's most trusted soldiers, to do his part. Scott counted to ten and he heard the mechanical door swoosh open, with viceroy leaving in a hurry. Immediately Scott received a text from Greg, _I can stall him for a little while so you better be quick! I could get in a lot of trouble for this! :|_ , it read. Scott exhaled and ran into the room, making sure to dodge the camera just in case Trent had forgotten to disable it, luckily he hadn't.

Scott ran up to the computer and sighed in relief when he saw it was already logged in, he doubted he could find anyone or anything able to hack Viceroy's computer, so he had no choice but to hope that in Viceroy's rush he'd forget to lock it down first. Scott produced two thumb drives, the one Stanley had given him and the one holding the hacking program. He plugged both in and immediately started up the program and began hacking the thumb drive. If he could just find out which computer Stanley's thumb drive had last been in, he'd know for sure who had ordered the hit, he just needed seven more minutes.

 _Scott, hurry! I can't keep him occupied for long!_ Greg had sent to Scott. Scott scowled and typed up a reply, _I need seven minutes, just do something! Anything!_ Scott sent not even waiting for a reply.

Scott reckoned that Greg must have been doing his job right because after four sweat soaked minutes no one came, as four became five Scott tapped his foot impatiently as he waited two final minutes. _He'd heading back!_ Scott received from Greg, Scott cursed he was so close, just a little more. As the bar reached completion he was ready to grab and go, but what the screen told him made his heart stop.

Last area of Connection: Mcfist Industries…

The thumb drive's last connection before being handed over to assassins was here, in this building, in this very room. Scott swallowed hard as he staggered backwards, he stared at the message for a beat until the sound of footsteps woke him up. He grabbed the 2 thumb drives and hid under the table just as the door wooshed open.

Scott didn't even dare to breathe as he saw Viceroy's designer shoes walk across the floor, each squeak from them caused Scott to wince in fear of them coming his direction. Against his hope Scott saw Viceroy's shoes come towards him, his forehead poured out sweat as he watched him get closer and closer then he…stopped, and picked something up off the table and left out the door.

Scott thanked whatever higher power had deemed him lucky enough to escape. He counted until 10 then got up and bolted out the door, as he ran his eyes widened at who he was about to cash into. Digging his heels into the floor he stopped just for body slamming Viceroy

"Scott! You could have killed me!" Viceroy chastised.

Still reeling from his discovery Scott merely stared at Viceroy, his anger and disgust nearly seeping into his face, but against all odds he pushed it back. "Sorry sir, it won't happen again"

"It better not" Viceroy sneered, he peeked behind Scott and took note of the direction he came from. "Where'd you come from anyway? You do know this area is prohibited for staff under level 3 clearance"

"I uh was looking- for you! Yes I was looking for you" Scott explained.

Viceroy raised a sceptical eyebrow. "Well you've found me"

"Oh right, um" Scott racked his brain for an excuse. "I uh, Greg! Greg wanted to see yo—"

Viceroy rolled his eyes in annoyance. "I already handled that"

"I see, well I guess I came here for nothing, nothing at all" Scott put on a fake grin and side stepped Viceroy. "Soooo, see ya sir!"

With that Viceroy watched as Scott speed walked down the hall, Viceroy then turned then turned to the corridor, his eyes widened in shock as he noticed his lab door slightly ajar. Viceroy glared down the direction Scott left in.

* * *

Heidi stood engulfed in flames burning brightly, sweat pouring off her head and shaking violently. She crumpled as her suits colors reverted back to their original versions, she heaved on all fours before taking off her mask and looking up.

"How long was that?" She asked in between breaths.

"5 minutes" First ninja said stepping forward.

Heidi pounded the ground in frustration and cursed. In the nomicon time moved differently, what could be hours in here was minutes out there.

"I could do 6 last week!" Heidi spat. "Why'd it go down?"

"Honestly" Fist ninja commented. "You seem a little distracted"

Heidi sighed, remembering her visions from the battle with the rhino robot and her talk with Howard, to say she was a little distracted was an understatement. Heidi sat and hugged her knees then began drawing circles on the ground.

"What's wrong first-ninja" Heidi asked. "Why is ninja rage so hard to maintain?"

"Do you want an honest answer?" First ninja asked.

"Yes please"

"It's not" First ninja answered emotionlessly. "Ninja rage taps power from the suit's tengu energy, the suit has more than enough to keep it going for hours"

Heidi's mouth hung agape, not understanding. "B-but that's impossible! I've been trying for weeks! I always wonk up, this isn't…"

"Unfortunately ninja this is the truth" First ninja continued, taking note of Heidi's disappointed expression. "I withheld this information in hopes that you would figure it out yourself, but it seems you cannot"

"What the juice are you talking about first ninja?" Heidi asked, wanting desperately to know what was holding her back. "What's the problem?"

"You ninja" First ninja explained. "You are the problem"

Heidi gasped, her expression of shock soon turned into anger at herself then to disappointment. "I knew I wasn't strong enough"

"Ninja you misunderstand" First ninja continued, shaking his head at Heidi. "This has nothing to do with strength, it has to do with this" He said as he flicked her fore head, getting an "ow!" from the younger ninja.

"You have placed impossible to achieve standards upon yourself" First ninja continued. "Both on your duty as the ninja and as yourself as Heidi Weinerman, and when you fail to meet this unattainable standard your doubt grows and so does your anger, it acts as a cage, blocking you from your true potential"

Heidi sat and took a minute to digest everything she'd been told, could this be true? She had always figured her confidence mean she had no self-doubt issues, well at least until Sentinel appeared.

"Now before you go is there anything else you would like to talk about" First ninja asked, preparing to shloomp Heidi away.

Heidi tried to think about any anomalies in her life she may need help in, her mind instantly went to Randy and how her day had played out yesterday, with the basketball match and the way he had stared at her. Heidi's face flushed at the memory of Randy staring at her intently, which did not go unnoticed to First ninja.

"What?" First ninja asked.

"It's nothing" A blush creeping onto Heidi's face.

"I am your teacher ninja, you can talk to me about anything ninja" First ninja prodded. "I may be able to help"

"It's about…" Heidi looked away. "A boy"

At first Frist ninja gave her a quizzical look, but then realization dawned on him. "Oh, um, that's not really my area of expertise….Do, do you want me to get Plop plop? I think he knows more about thi—"

"Please no" Heidi said, waving her hands in disagreement. "It's fine first ninja, there was just this way he looked at me…it felt weird?"

"Hmmmm" First ninja contemplated. "Did your face melt off?"

"No" Heidi answered, bewildered by the question.

"Did you get the sudden urge to do whatever the boy asked?"

"No"

"Did you turn into stone?"

"Um, I don't think so?"

"Then it was probably nothing" First ninja dismissed.

"Well…." Heidi said getting up, noting how useless that talk was and how she still didn't know what was up with Randy's stare. "I have to go and…dance"

"I see?" First ninja replied, choosing not to prod further into his ninja's personal life. "Consider what I've told you ninja"

Heidi nodded and she was shloomped out.

* * *

Randy just finished stretching in the gym and looked around for his partner. He pouted when he noticed all the other couples were already here and together, yet Heidi was nowhere to be seen. Just as he was about to decide that Heidi probably quit, he heard the sound of sneakers running across the floor.

He turned his head to see the red haired sophomore running towards him.

"I'm here!" She called as coach Green was about to finish taking attendance.

"Thought you'd wonk out on me" Randy said, sighing in relief.

"Honestly I thought about it" Heidi said as she walked up to him.

"Glad you didn't" Randy replied with a warm smile on his face. "I'm not exactly keen on doing this either, but it feels way better knowing you'll be doing it with me"

Heidi smiled back, but it feel the second she noticed the bleachers. "A lot….of people are here aren't they" She noted a nervous edge creeping into her voice.

"Yeah" Randy replied, scratching the back of his head nervously. "I think most of them came to see people trip and fall, kind of shooby if you ask me"

Horror washed over Heidi's face. "I-I can't do this"

"What?" Randy asked, confusion and concern on his features. "What're you talking about, you just got here"

"I can't…" Heidi paused for a beat before answering. "Dance"

"You're joking" Randy asked sceptically.

"Bash isn't here, so I suppose we'll have to start without him" Coach Green announced. "Positions everyone!"

"I-I-I" Heidi's brain went on the fritz as she looked at the judging eyes that surrounded her.

"C'mon, Heidi" Randy said grabbing her hand. "Can't be that bad"

Heidi gulped and accepted the inevitable. Turns out she was _that_ bad, if she wasn't tripping on her own feet she was stepping on Randy's, she got confused as to which turn came next or which direction to go in causing a collision with another couple.

"Okay, 1, 2…1,2" Randy counted aloud for Heidi to hear, making sure she kept her focus. "There you go! You're getting it!"

After a hundred attempts Heidi was finally making progress. Randy noted how she stuck out her tongue to the side in concentration, and chuckled at how cute he thought it was. Unfortunately he noticed her eyes slowly drift to the side, looking at the crowd of students, fear and nervousness overtook her face again.

In a blur Heidi tripped and toppled Randy over, both of them crashing into another couple, both couples fell to the ground. Heidi immediately stood and apologized to Randy and the other couple but stopped when she heard the snickers and laughs, Randy saw in her eyes frustration and she stomped off.

Randy promptly ran after her, shooting coach Green a 'give us a minute' gesture with his hands. Randy caught her as she entered the locker room. He lightly grabbed her shoulder, which she shirked off.

"C'mon Heidi it's OK" Randy said walking beside her as she went to pack her stuff.

"No it's not" Heidi huffed, shoving her stuff into her workout bag. "Ugh, why did I even try?"

"You were getting it Heidi! You just have to focus" Randy said. "What's distracting you?"

"Why does everyone keep saying that? I'm **not** distracted" At this point she knew she was in fact distracted, but she didn't like being reminded.

"Was it everyone watching you?" Randy asked. "That didn't bother you when we played basketball, and you were great then"

"No, yes? Maybe? I don't know" Heidi answered, slumping her shoulders. "I don't—"

"You're always helping me through stuff, Heidi and I lov—Like! Like you for that" Randy coughed into his hand. "Let me help you this time"

There it was again, that odd way he looked at her, it made her chest swell. It made her feel like she could unload on him.

"I'm tired…" She finally said, Randy waiting patiently for her to elaborate. "I'm tired of trying so hard and still not being good enough"

She waited for him to laugh or to scold her for whining too much, but instead she was met with a kind smile.

"Heidi, you are amazing, one of the best people I know" Randy claimed, taking a step towards the red head.

Heidi hesitantly took a step back. "No I'm not…"

"I'm going to cut this pity party short right now Heidi. No one thinks that about you, it's your own brain that's trying to tell you you're wonk, and it's wrong by the way" Randy interrupted. "You're smart, funny and you're so kind, all that bruceness and you can still maintain your _job_ on the side"

Heidi was shocked out of the warm feeling that was spreading through her. "Wha-what job?"

"Your web show?" Randy answered, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh right" Heidi wiped her forehead in relief as the warmness of Randy's words swept past he chest again. "Thanks Randy"

"If you really wanna thank me, you'll come with me" Randy said holding out a hopeful hand to Heidi. "It'll be totally 10 times wonker in there if you don't"

"I don't know…" Heidi hesitated.

"You can do this" Randy said with determination in his voice. "Trust me, OK?"

Heidi swallowed then took Randy's hand. "OK"

They walked back to the others hand in hand, which both teens noticed but didn't find entirely uncomfortable.

"Ah, Mr. Cunningham, Ms. Weinerman glad to see you back" Coach Green greeted. "Places everyone, let's try this again"

Randy slowly pulled Heidi's body to his, taking her hand and placing his other on her hip as she placed hers on his shoulder. He tried to look into her eyes but she has screwed them shut.

"Don't trip this time!" The two heard from somewhere in the back, followed by snickers and chuckles causing Heidi to wince.

"Hey, hey Heidi" Randy said, causing Heidi to open her eyes. "It's just you and me here OK? Nothing else, just you and me"

She nodded as she got lost in Randy's eyes. _There it is again, that look…_ She realized what that _look_ did to her, the way Randy stared at her, it removed the weight of her chest and disarmed her, made her bare, made her _vulnerable_. Vulnerable, it was strange she had just admitted earlier that day she hated feeling vulnerable, but not like this, the way he did it, it felt different and she couldn't help falling into his gaze.

She hadn't even noticed but she had finished the dance routine without a hitch, but as they came to a perfect halt, the two couldn't stop staring at each other, they only saw each other, and they only heard each other's beating hearts as they slowly drew closer.

"There's that fire I saw yesterday!" Coach Green's voice suddenly shocked them out of their trance. "I knew you two were electric together, you were just late bloomers, now onto the next part of the dance…that is if you and Ms. Weinerman are done staring into each other's eyes?"

Randy and Heidi noticed they were the only two left holding onto each other and let go of each other immediately, blood warming each of their faces. As coach Green began demonstrating the nest part of the dance, Randy and Heidi threw each other small smiles.

* * *

Scott sat in his recliner, mulling over what he had just learned. The thumb drive used to deliver the hit on the Cunninghams, the last place it had been in before falling into Stanley's hands was in the very place he worked in, in Viceroy's computer once more, a computer only viceroy could access, and this left Scott in a tough predicament. Scott knew Viceroy, he knew Viceroy wasn't capable of this, at least not by himself, that left only one other culprit, someone who had authority over Viceroy, Hannibal Mcfist.

The Lovable gazillionaire of norisville, the self-professed "man of the people", the very man who saved both Randy and Scott by taking them in, he was the culprit. He was responsible for taking an 8 year old boy's parents away, was also the person who gave that 8 year old boy a home again.

Scott, as he has been for the last couple of weeks, is very unsure of what to do next. He promised to get justice for Randy's parents but to go against Hannibal Mcfist? That was crazy, no it was suicidal. Scott looked to the coffee table and picked up a picture of a 10 year old Randy in front of a birthday cake, with Scott and the rest of the Mcforcers behind the boy.

A sudden succession of knocks drew Scott out of his reminiscing, he listened again and realized they were coming from the door.

"I'll get it!" Scott announced as he put the picture down, alerting the purple haired 14 year old upstairs not to worry himself.

Scott walked up to the door and gingerly opened the door, his breathe hitched when he saw who was waiting behind.

"Good evening Scott" Mcfist said with an ear to ear grin. "We were taking a walk down the neighbourhood and thought we'd stop by, isn't that right Viceroy?"

The purple clad scientist nodded. "It is indeed sir"

For a minute Scott only stared at the two, unsure of how to react.

"Well, Elinoff?" Mcfist spoke up. "Aren't you going to invite us in?"

"Um, sure" Scott answered, swallowing hard. "Would you like to come i—"

"No we would not Elinoff" Mcfist interrupted. "We'll make this quick, you are playing a dangerous game Elinoff"

"I don't know what—"

"Then pretend you do, now pretend you were about to make a very powerful enemy, me. I'm Hannibal Mcfist, one of the richest men in the entire world and I could make your life a living nightmare. You have a good life right Scott? You and the kid? One I gave both of you, be a shame if all that went up in ashes…just like the Cunninghams"

Scott swallowed hard, he was openly being threatened by his boss and he could do nothing, but nod.

"Good boy" Scott held back his anger as Mcfist patted his head like a dog. "Good talk Scott"

With that Mcfist and Viceroy walked away, leaving Scott to stand there and feel helpless. In anger he slammed his fist against the door frame, causing it to shake.

"Scott?" He heard Randy's voice come from behind. "What's wrong? Who was at the door?"

Scott sighed and counted to 3, burying his anger. He turned a smile forced on to his lips.

"Nothing" He replied. "There was a bug on the frame, I got it"

"Bet you did" Randy said walking up to Scott, his Sentinel costume in hand. "I kind of need this fixed"

Scott took the costume and raised an eyebrow at the large cut across the chest, as well as the various smaller cuts around it. "What happened here?"

"I may or may not have gotten into a tussle with a sword wielding ninja" Randy explained. "She was acting shooby, but she's better now? I think…"

"Yeesh" Scott said, examining the cuts again. "Don't make a habit of it"

"As if I want to fight the ninja again"

Scott chuckled and lifted the cut area of the suit to see the symbol properly, a symbol he now hated, the Mcfist industries logo. It was if Mcfist was still mocking him now, saying he owned the both of them, Scott scowled at the symbol because it was the only form of rebellion he could give right now.

"Um Scott?" He heard.

"Hmmm, oh yeah" Scott answered. "I'll get it fixed…I think it needs a design _update_ too"

"Really?"

"Don't worry it's just little details need fine tuning"

"Cool"

"So" Scott said, as he folded the suit and draped it over his forearm. "What did you do today?"

"Same old same old, saved the day, algebra blah blah blah" Randy listed. "Also I danced"

"Woah what?" Scott turned to Randy quickly. "Danced? Why were you dancing?"

"Oh, me and Heidi may have been picked for this whole synchronized waltz thing going on at my, I mean Sentinel's apology party" Randy explained, a smile forming on his face, one that caused Scott to smile too. "Didn't I mentioned that?"

"You might have" Scott answered. "Maybe I was too busy looking for leads"

The second the words left Scott's mouth he regretted them, instantly Randy's face fell, turning from a joyous one to one of grave seriousness. It broke Scott's heart to see Randy's happiness melt away.

"Any leads?" Randy asked, his tone now having a slight edge.

This was a moment of truth for Scott, a crossroads, tell Randy everything and put all of the good times Randy earned in a long time on the back burned in favour of revenge or try and bear the weight of getting justice alone so Randy wouldn't have to, Scott picked what he thought was best.

"None yet kiddo" Scott answered casually. "But I'm getting close I can feel it, so why don't you focus on your dance thing for now and we'll go out to get you fitted for a tuxedo tomorrow, ok?"

"OK, I guess" Randy answered a little deflated.

"Get some rest Randy" Scott said, ruffling Randy's hair. "You gotta have a healthy sleep schedule if you want to be at your dancing best"

"Right" Randy said as he turned to walk up the stairs. "Oh and Scott, will you be?"

"Yes Randy I'll be there" Scott answered rolling his eyes. "You're not getting out of me taping the whole thing that easily"

Randy laughed. "Figured as much, night Scott"

"Night kid" Scott said leaning on the door frame.

As soon as Randy left Scott's face turned to one of steely determination, pulling out his phone he dialled Trent.

"Trent, yeah hey, listen" Scott said into his phone. "Get in touch with all my old mercenary contacts, all my old favours I need them called in….yes all of them…I'm going to need you and the teams help too…..Information…..Who? We're going to start digging up every dirty little secret Hannibal Mcfist has, all of them, if he has so much as littered we're getting evidence, don't fight me on this Trent, Mcfist is going down"

With that Scott hung up and looked towards the moon as he strengthened his resolve. "Get ready Mcfist, I'm coming for you"

* * *

 **Next Chapter, we're kicking the gears up!**

 **Leave a review of what u thought!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Yes hello! I'm back with another chapter, and i have a fairly acceptable reason this time, i think.**

 **Anyway I had revised this chapter multiple times and realized the problem was with my outline of the events in general, so i buckled done and did 2 chapters and made em one, so once again this is another 12,00+ word chapter and boy was it a doozy :)**

 **also story gets a lil bit darker, but hey what story doesnt.**

 **hope u enjoy!**

* * *

"And then what?" Randy chuckled while asking. The two had just finished practicing for their dance and were now resting side by side in the school gym.

"HE ATE IT!" Heidi announced waving her hands frantically, causing Randy to burst out laughing Heidi following suite. "Howard told him not to, but he did anyway!"

Randy held his gut while laughing uncontrollably, Heidi having to hold onto him to steady herself. After laughing Heidi rested her head on Randy's shoulder.

Had she pulled something like this months ago they would have both become blubbering messes of tomato red cheeks, but after weeks of practicing together, bodies pressed closely, constantly holding one another's hands and just generally being forced to stay in close proximity to the other's person, had given them a sense of comfortability with each other. The two teen's closeness had caused people to ask _questions_ , questions that both obviously dismissed. The two teens had figured their level of closeness was the right amount, but at the same time a small voice inside themselves told them to get closer, not physically, well hormones would, but the closeness they sought from each other was more emotional?

Heidi tapped her fingers on the bench they were resting on. "Tonight's the night" She said softly, a slight quiver in her voice.

"Don't tell me you're still nervous?" Randy asked, a small smile on his lips. "Heidi, we've been practicing for weeks and we are the brucest, ain't no one gonna top us, I'm totally weirded out Bash and Gretchen are still the lead dancers, that should totally be us"

"Oh cheese, don't say that!" Heidi squeaked. "I really don't want that to happen"

Randy snickered at Heidi's reaction. "Why is the girl who is constantly on TV getting cold feet on the dance floor?"

"Excuse you, I'm in my element on TV" Heidi retorted. "Plus less chance of me face planting"

"Well worry not m'lady" Randy announced, resting his head on Heidi's. "I'll be there to catch you"

"Uh huh sure you will" Heidi said while rolling her eyes. "You're going to protect me?"

"Of course, I won't let anything or anyone hurt that pretty little head of yours" Randy said boldly. "Because I have experience in that sort of stuff"

Heidi let out an exasperated sigh, there it was again. The more she hung out with Randy the more she noticed him slipping up about his secret identity, though it only seemed to be around her. As usual she would pretend to prod him about his slip up and he'd make a lame and unbelievable excuse that she would have no choice but to buy no matter how cringe worthy it was.

"And how exactly do you have experience helping people" Heidi asked emotionlessly.

There it was, Heidi rolled her eyes as Randy head snapped off of hers and he began sweating. She waited for his excuse but it never came, she lifted her head of Randy's shoulders to look at him. His eyes looked deep in thought and his jaw was clenched. His blue eyes met hers with a resolve, a shaky resolve, but it was there.

"Heidi I…" Randy trailed off. "Heidi, I'm the-you know how we have secrets and we lie sometimes? I have this really big secret, and I uhh…"

Heidi's eyes widened in panic, she knew where this was going. He was going to tell her he was Sentinel.

"But!" Heidi interrupted, attempting to diffuse the situation. "I am the school's biggest gossip, are you _really_ sure you can trust me?"

Randy turned to her with a look of befuddlement and offense, as if he was insulted she would say that about herself. His face softened as he smiled a genuine smile at her, his eyes peering directly into hers.

There it was again, that look that he gave Heidi that made her knees weak and made the butterflies dance the waltz in her stomach, a look of pure admiration, she would never admit it but she loved that look.

Heidi felt Randy's hand cup her own as he smiled at her.

"Heidi…" Randy started. "You are one of the most trustworthy people I have ever met"

Heidi felt the sincerity in his voice, it was overwhelming. Here he was about to reveal his biggest secret to her, a secret she already knew, in an act of total trust. She wondered why she wasn't doing the same.

"I'm the Sen—"Randy's phone rang interrupting him. "I'm the Sen—"It rang again gaining an annoyed sigh from him.

"You should probably get that" Heidi said hastily.

Randy complied and answered his phone. Heidi watched as he answered with a series of "uh-huh" and "yeah's", finally he put his phone away and shrugged in apology to her.

"Mcfist is calling me" Randy said.

"Because of you _part time_ job there, right?" Heidi replied, playing along with the lie Randy had told her weeks ago.

"Yeah" He answered as he got up and sighed.

Heidi couldn't stop herself from asking. "What…were you going to tell me?"

"I, it's nothing" Randy answered, a sheepish grin on his face. He began walking away. "See you tonight, Heidi"

"See you tonight, Randy" She called back as she still felt a little bit of guilt in the bottom of her stomach.

* * *

"Mr. Mcfist?" Randy asked as he entered Mcfist's office. He gulped nervously, he felt like he was just called in to the principal's office, it would be so not the cheese if he had somehow gotten into trouble with his boss a couple of hours before he was supposed to attend a party for him thrown by his boss.

"Randy, there you are" Mcfist said as he swivelled in his desk chair to face the boy. "Come here, sit!"

Randy nodded and took a seat right in front of Mcfist's desk. "Hey, um, Mr. Mcfist"

"Randy please, Mr. Mcfist is my father's name, and what I at least wish bash would call me, instead of Mcjerk, the idiot" Mcfist grumbled, his slight frown changing back into a smile. "Call me Hannibal"

"Oh well uh am I in trouble Mr. – I mean Hannibal" Randy corrected, the name having trouble leaving his mouth. "Am I in trouble?"

Mcfist let out a jolly laugh and slapped his knee. "No boy you're not in trouble, I just wanted to apologize and talk to you personally before all the dumb and boring apologies get underway at the party"

"Oh, um OK?" Randy answered wearily. This really weirded Randy out, Mcfist and him had never really had a close relationship despite Mcfist taking him in, professional was the word Randy would use to describe it, not to mention Mcfist himself wasn't exactly a chill guy. Yet here the man was, talking to Randy like he was his favourite nephew.

"So let me just get right to the apologizing" Mcfist said as he opened a bottle of McBubble slam and poured it into two glasses. "I'm sor-hrk!"

Mcfist looked like he was about to vomit. "Give me a second" He held up a finger, using his mechanical arm to cover his mouth. "I'm sorr-urghhh, so-geehh, I-am-sorr..y. Wooh did it, that was tough"

Randy laughed at the man's struggle to say sorry, _he must not do it a lot,_ Randy mused to himself.

"Don't worry about" Randy replied, nodding at the older man as he pushed a glass of McBubble slam into Randy's hand. "Water under the bridge"

"You're a good sport, got that from your dad" Mcfist said, swirling his glass. "You're a lot like him, him and your mom of course"

Randy rolled his jaw. "Thanks"

"I guess that's something you and me have in common" Mcfist said as he turned in his chair to look out his giant window. "My dad raised me by himself and I lost him too when I was young, like you I had my parents life work thrown at me, we both had a lot of growing up to do real quick eh? Haha. But we only survived this long because of what our parents left us, their legacy, it's up to us now to finish what they started"

Randy smiled.

 _To help people._

 _To expand my empire no matter what._

Randy's impression of Mcfist had greatly increased since this visit had begun. "I know I said it before but thanks again, for taking me in and letting me do this superhero stuff, Mr. um Hannibal"

"I'm just that great of a guy" Mcfist and Randy shared a laugh. "But really you've wanted to be a superhero since you were a kid, if I said no I was scared you would have vaporized me, in fact you could have had anything you wanted because you have the power to make it happen, but you chose this instead"

Randy was taken back for a second, the air had suddenly gone stale and he found his pulse was racing in fear? But just like that it all changed at the drop of a dime and Mcfist let out a hearty laugh.

"Just shoobing you" Mcfist explained while laughing, placing his glass down. Not having drunken any of it. "I should really be thanking you"

"Oh" Randy sighed in relief. "For what?"

"Let's just say you opened a couple of doors for me recently, some really big doors" Mcfist answered, mysteriously.

Just then Randy's phone rang, its alarm going off. He checked it and cursed under his breathe.

"Oh wonk" he said. "I promised Scott I'd hang out with him a little bit before the party, sorry I gotta go"

"Not a problem Randy" Mcfist waved him off. "Go and tell Scott, hello for me" He grinned at Randy.

"I will" Randy said as he got up. "Thanks again"

"Wait" Mcfist said, causing Randy to stop. "Aren't you going to finish that?"

Randy looked down in puzzlement and saw the glass of McBubble slam still untouched in his hand. "Oh right"

He chugged it down in one gulp and let out a satisfying "ah!" as he placed the glass down.

Mcfist watched intently, searching Randy's eyes. For a second the whites of Randy's eyes turned black and his pupils turned yellow, Mcfist grinned.

With a nod and a wave Randy left the office.

* * *

"Hold on Scott!" Randy yelled.

"I can't! Randy get here now!" Scott yelled back. "I need your help, I'm being slaughtered"

"Almost! There!" Randy panted, just as he reached Scott an undead zombie stabbed Scott through the chest with a sword.

A big red "Game Over" flashed on the screen, causing both Randy and Scott to throw down their controllers and groan in defeat. Their down turned mouths turned into laughter as they held their sides.

"Right through the chest" Scott said with a chuckle. "You couldn't have gotten there sooner, could you?"

"Hey!" Randy argued playfully. "Don't blame it on me, you tried to go take on the boss yourself like some lone wolf, not my fault you shoobed yourself"

"Fine, fine" Scott answered, throwing his hands up in defeat. "Soooo, those dancing shoes all spick and span for tonight?"

"Check!" Randy replied.

"Suit all pressed and clean?"

"Check!"

"Dance moves memorized to a T?"

"Check!"

"Asked that Weinerman girl out on a date yet?"

"Che-Scott c'mon, you're always bringing this up!" Randy complained indignantly.

Scott laughed in reply. "I'm sorry, you've just been talking about her non-stop"

Randy looked ready to argue, but ended up slumping into the couch.

"Uh-oh" Scott said as he sat back with Randy. "That's a heavy slump, what's on your mind"

Randy bit the inside of his cheek as his face gained a pink tint. "Let's say _hypothetically_ I did like her"

"Hypothetically, right" Scott repeated while rolling his eyes.

"So like, I'm a honking superhero?" Randy explained, waving his hands. "Isn't like the first rule of that no dating? Like isn't it better if I do this alone?"

"Ugh" Scott scowled. "Listen Randy, that is a terrible cliché, we all need people in our lives, even superheroes"

"What if she's put in danger because of me?" Randy asked.

"And what if she could save your butt but couldn't help because she didn't know you needed her help?" Scott countered. "That's what being a team means, you watch out for each other but it only works if you all see each other as equals"

Randy stuck out his lips and pondered Scott's answers. "I almost told her today, about me being you know"

"Really?" Scott asked. "Are you sure you can trust her"

"Yeah" Randy answered without a beat. "I know she'd never hurt me"

Scott smiled and nodded at the boy.

A thought occurred to Scott. "What about the other Weinerman?"

"Howard?" Randy asked raising an eyebrow. "Oh totally! He'd never blab my secret…"

Randy and Scott became silent for a second then burst out laughing.

"But seriously, I might tell him" Randy answered.

"But you're sure you're going to tell Heidi?" Scott said as he got up.

"Positive" Randy said as he got up too. "I'll tell her tonight, yeah tonight, I'll tell her"

Randy cracked his knuckles and stretched, he checked his watch and frowned. "Yeesh, its 5:30 already? I better start getting ready, also better prepare some witty banter for when Hannibal apologizes to me"

"Hannibal?" Scott raised an eyebrow. "Since when do you call Mcfist by his first name?"

"Oh, since earlier" Randy scratched the back of his head. "He invited me into his office, had a couple of drinks and we talked, turns out he's pretty cool, dare I say even bruce"

Randy's face fell as he saw Scott develop a deep scowl.

"Geez Scott didn't think you hated your boss that much" Randy commented, Randy flinched when Scott spun his head towards Randy with an angry stare quickly.

Scott saw the surprise and fear on Randy's face and softened his features. "I'm just…Just don't get too close to him Randy OK? Just do this for me"

"OK? I guess?" Randy answered more confused than ever.

Scott sighed and gave Randy a half smile. "You better start getting ready, I'll meet you there, and I just have to pick up your _repaired_ spare suit first"

Randy raised his eyebrow at how Scott emphasised the word "repaired" but shrugged his shoulders in the end.

"You'll get there in time to see me dance brucely with Heidi right?" Randy asked.

"Wouldn't miss it for the world" Scott told Randy sincerely.

* * *

"So it felt like, blegh!" Heidi described. "And suddenly my stomach felt super heavy and it was the weirdest cheese ever? Like why would I feel like that?"

"Mhmm, mhmm" Howard nodded blankly on Heidi's bed as drool dribbled down his chin. Howard's hair was moulded into a classy form and he wore a deep blue suit with a black tie and a yellow pocket handkerchief. "So interesting Heidi"

"Howard are you even listening?" Heidi said as she removed the curlers in her hair, letting her curls bounce off her shoulders.

"Sister I'm gonna throw those words right back at you" Howard retorted. "I have been telling you since you dragged me into your room, that I don't care about your wonky feelings about you super boyfriend"

"Will you stop calling him that" Heidi said rolling her eyes. "We are strictly partners and I'm trying to figure out why my gut felt so wonk when he tried to tell me his secret identity"

"Which you won't tell me" Howard remarked.

"Yeah I won't"

Howard sighed exasperatedly at his sisters' emotional dilemma. "OK Heidi, I know that you and me might have not inherited it from dad, but have you considered the reason you feel like a shoob is because you feel guilty about you knowing his identity and him not knowing yours? I mean I've heard what guilt sounds like and you are pretty much describing it for me here"

"What? That's ridiculous Howard" Heidi scoffed as she went into the bathroom to change into her evening gown. "I'm the schools biggest gossip, I've given and kept hundreds of secrets why would I feel guilty about this?"

"I don't honking know Heidi" Howard complained. "I'm not your therapist, maybe you really care about the guy and that's why you feel guilty or maybe you just have really bad gas, I just don't know Heidi"

"Will you stop with that already?!" Heidi groaned as she came out wearing her dark red, sleeveless evening gown with a cut at the side of the dress as to allow movement. Heidi walked over to her desk mirror and began putting on her earrings. "I don't feel that way about him"

"Well whatever you feel's gotta be honkin strong!" Howard said getting up and throwing his hands in the air. "Because if it wasn't you wouldn't be this hung up about him"

Howard left the room to let Heidi mull about her feelings by herself, which only served to confuse her more. _Do I really feel guilty?_ She asked herself as she put her matching red evening gloves on. _Do I feel guilty because I…..care about him…_ _ **a lot.**_ The more Heidi thought about it the more Randy's charming smile and stupid but funny jokes invaded her mind, causing her cheeks to resemble the color of her dress.

"Heidi! Cunninghams here! Let's move it!" Howard yelled from the bottom of the stairs waking Heidi from her thoughts.

"Coming!" Heidi called back as she did the finishing touches on her make up.

"Ugh, why do we have to go to this dumb thing?" Howard asked Randy as they waited for Heidi.

"Because Heidi and I's dance is this dumb things opening event?" Randy explained his arms crossed as he leaned on the door frame.

"Oh sorry, let me rephrase my question" Howard replied politely. "Ugh! Why do I have to go to this dumb thing?"

"To provide me with emotional support obviously" Randy said covering his heart with his hand. "And let me just tell you, I appreciate it buddy"

Both boys had a laugh at that, Howard regained his composure and coughed into his hands.

"But seriously after you do your little two-step thing, let's bail" Howard said. "We meet back here, and grave puncher 3 all night long"

"I don't know" Randy answered sheepishly. "I think I may stay a little longer, might be fun y'know?"

"Oh I catch your drift, Cunningham" Howard winked. "Alright, I'll stay too. Don't worry Cunningham, with my wingman skills we'll be sure to get you a date by the end of the night"

"That's not what I mean—"

"Ok, you guys ready?" The two boys heard from atop the stairs.

Randy turned his head and was floored. Randy had always considered that moment in movies and TV to be stupid, when you see the person you've been crushing on all dolled up at the top of the stairs and looking stunning, he always thought that was dumb, and he did until it happened to him. The red dress complimented Heidi's red hair, the gloves and gown hugged her curves, the silky material mesmerizing as she moved in it, Randy was sure he had a stupid look on his face but he could do nothing about it as his body remained stunned.

She walked right up to him, he noticed her arching an eyebrow and looking him over. Randy suddenly felt very self-conscious at his own attire, which turned out to be ridiculous because Heidi was enjoying her partners' looks for the evening as much as he was enjoying hers.

Heidi couldn't help but marvel at how simply dappering Randy up a little had completely changed him. He usually gave off the look and feel of a spunky and energetic young boy, with an endearing boyish charm that caused you to laugh with him, but now he exhaled a calm and confident young man with a dash of mischief in his eyes. As one of the dancers he was required to not wear a suit like the other boys in NHS, but rather a tailcoat tuxedo, a tailcoat of the darkest black with its tails reaching a little below his knees, and a dress shirt underneath hugging his thin waist, he wore black trouser and a slightly crooked black tie, all topped off with a white handkerchief on his tailcoats breast pocket. His wild hair had somehow been tamed through the miracle of hair gel (tons of it probably), his hair was in purple slight waves going backwards with a few curls gracing his forehead.

The two just stood face to face, unable to speak.

"You…"

"Thanks, you're so…"

"Not as much as you and uh…"

"Thanks…"

The awkward silence was almost visible as Howard tapped his foot impatiently, frustrated at the scene playing out in front of him.

"Can we go?" He demanded.

"Right" Heidi coughed into her hand. "Just let me…"

Heidi reached up momentarily making Randy flinch, but he calmed down when he realized she was going for his bow tie, he tried to relax as she adjusted it, but he remained stiff as a board. When she was done she dusted of his broad shoulders and slowly dragged her hands down his lapels, retreating quickly when she realized she had kept her hands on his chest for longer than necessary.

"Um, we should go" Heidi stated as she walked briskly to the car waiting for them provided by Mcfist complete with its own roboape chauffer.

Randy watched Heidi leave the house and his jaw dropped when he saw the dress was backless giving him a full view of the red heads toned back. His mouth snapped shut and muttered a curse when he felt someone punch him.

"Stop ogling my sister!" Howard sneered.

"You make ogling sound gross" Randy complained as he rubbed his arm.

"Well stop ogling grossly!" Howard huffed as he walked out the house too, leaving Randy to roll his eyes at his best friend.

As Randy was about to exit, his stomach gurgled and he felt a searing pain shoot through his body. He leaned on the door frame to steady himself, his eyes flashing yellow and his sclera turning black, but only for a moment, returning to normal the next and the pain gone.

"What the?" Randy asked as he looked down on himself, wondering what had just happened. He looked up when he heard the car horn calling him, he shrugged and walked towards the cars open door.

* * *

 **Night of the Dance**

* * *

 _Ahh crap_ , Scott cursed at himself mentally. He was just organizing and finishing up his evidence on Mcfist, now all he needed was proof of his involvement in the Cunninghams death, he had more than enough evidence to get Mcfist put away, but he needed to make sure that the Cunninghams was in there, for Randy. Afterwards he went all the way to the other side of town to pick up Randy's spare suit, he placed it in Randy's closet with a note on it for Randy, _Your suits here! Hope you like it kid!_

Afterwards he put on his dark blue tuxedo and prepared to leave, he had 15 minutes before he had to get to the school for the party and realized how tired he was so he decided to take a nap, a nap that went on for 25 minutes, making him late.

"I can still make it as long—"He never got to finish his sentence because his phone rang. He opened it to see Greg's caller ID. Greg was calling him? Unusual considering Greg preferred texting. He opened it and brought it up to his ear.

"Hey" Greg said on the other line, pausing for a beat. "…Scott"

"Greg?" Scott answered, pursing his lips. "What's up?"

"The uhh…" He heard Greg cough on the other side of the phone then continue. "The Cunningham case, I might've found some evidence you could use"

"Really?" Scott replied. "Can you send it over?"

"No!" Greg answered hastily, causing Scott to flinch. "I mean, it's here in the Cunninghams burned house and but I'm not sure so I need you here to confirm it"

"Can it wait?" Scott asked. "I have to be at a thing and—"

"It can't Scott" Greg answered. "It's really important you get here, this could *sigh* put Mcfist away for good"

Scott rolled his jaw and furrowed his brow, closing his eyes for a second he decided that Randy wouldn't mind if he missed _just_ the start of the dance and caught the rest, right?

"OK" Scott answered. "I'm on my way"

* * *

Randy shuffled through the crowd, taking in the look of the gym. It had totally been transformed, students and adults alike wore suits and gowns, while waiters bustled from elegantly decorated table to table, while an old fashioned jazz band set up on a stage that was constructed at the end of the gym, the party had a very 1920's feel to it.

Randy stopped dead in his tracks as his stomach gurgled and the world flashed red for a second and he had to hold someone's shoulder to steady himself.

"Woah there boy, you OK?" He heard a familiar voice ask him. Randy looked up to see Hannibal Mcfist.

"Hey Mc-I mean Hannibal" Randy said as the red lessened but remained, he felt some strength return to his legs but it was not much. "Sorry about grabbing you there, I was just feeling a little woozy, I think"

Mcfist tried desperately to suppress a smile. "Woozy ay? Say you haven't gone through any moments of extreme emotional distress have you?"

"I don't think so?" Randy asked more than answered.

"Good, good. It's too early—I mean you're too young! Yes, ha, too young to be going through those troubles" Mcfist answered nervously. "You have all of your gross, sweaty and embarrassing adolescence to do that"

"Sir! Oh hello Randy" Viceroy greeted as he walked up to Randy and Mcfist. "You're needed at the stage to get the party started. Then the synchronized waltz will being" Viceroy nodded at Randy.

"Right" Mcfist grumbled. "Let's get this over with so all these people can watch the boy here dance his little pants off"

Randy surveyed the entire room, for once realizing just how many people there were, and how many were going to watch him. Shiny beads of sweat appeared on his head, as the red coloration of the world in his eyes deepened and his stomach acted up again, was he nervous? That didn't make sense he wasn't nervous before, why now?

"Hooooo boy" Randy said.

"You'll do fine" Mcfist encouraged. "Gotta go"

"Wait" Randy said. "Before you guys go, can either of you get a hold of Scott? I can't reach his phone"

Viceroy smiled coyly at the boy. "Sorry not really"

"Oh" Randy sighed, disappointedly.

"Don't worry, he'll make it…. _probably_ " Mcfist said, barely holding back a devilish grin. "Anyway enjoy the party, you _deserve_ it"

With that Randy watched the two men leave.

Heidi looked around as she hung around with the other dancers, they were all present except for Bash, Gretchen and her own partner Randy, whom she was currently looking around for.

As she was doing one more sweep of the room with her eyes coach Green walked up to the group with a disappointed look on his face.

"Bad news everyone" Coach Green announced. "It seems Bashford will not be participating in the dance, made apparent by the pictures he uploaded on social media of him "Hangin' with the bros and ditchin Mcfreaks lame party, Yeah I'm Bash!'. Gretchen has pulled out as well, stating that if her partner would not be dancing neither would she"

Heidi started getting a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"So, we need new lead dancers!" Coach Green said giddily.

The feeling in Heidi's stomach tripled.

"And I've chosen Mrs. Weinerman and Mr. Cunningham" Coach Green said, turning to Heidi who suddenly felt very small. "Congratulations! Do tell Mr. Cunningham when he gets here. We start in less than 5 minutes everyone! Get ready!"

Heidi swallowed hard as she and Randy had just been thrust into the spotlight.

Just then she noticed a mass of well combed purple hair emerge from the crowd of people ahead of her. She sighed in relief, her _rock_ had arrived, the person who would assure her everything would be alright and there he was walking slightly hunched over? As Randy got closer Heidi saw that he looked pale and was rather sweaty, she raised her eyebrows in concern as he finally reached her.

"Are you OK?" Heidi asked the purple haired boy, her hands hovering near him as he looked ready to topple over.

"Yeah, yeah" Randy said as he shook his head trying to get rid of the red lenses that seemed to be covering his vision, but to no avail. "I'm just, hoo boy, didn't think there'd be _this_ much people here haha"

 _No_ , Heidi said mentally, fearing the worst for her rock. "Randy are you nervous?"

"Me?" Randy let out a painfully obvious laugh, making Heidi cringe. "OK…maybe a little, but it's a good thing we're in the back of the group that should help me with my nerves"

"Oh no…" Heidi muttered as she prepared to shatter his hopes.

* * *

Scott walked up to the Cunninghams house in his tuxedo. He rolled his jaw as he reached the door, for some reason, his phone wasn't getting a phone signal the minute he had entered the house's front yard.

He opened the door and grit his teeth at what was in front of him, the unmistakeable uniform and face of one of his most trusted Mcforcemen tied up to a chair covered in his own blood. Scott rushed to Greg's side as he worked his hands to untie the rope that held Scott's friend.

"Scott…" Greg groaned. "I'm sorry Scott, I didn't want to bring you here, but they said they'd go after my family next if I didn't"

"It's OK Greg" Scott said as he finished untying Greg. "What matters now is that we get out of here"

"We can't" Greg sighed, his eyes trailing upwards. "It's been here, waiting and watching you this whole time"

Suddenly all the doors and windows shut with iron casings, blocking all of Greg and Scott's exits.

Scott turned to look at the sealed doors and windows then slowly trailed his eyes up towards what Greg had been looking at. Scott saw in the darkness a set of glowing blue eyes.

Suddenly something dropped down with a loud thud and reverberation that sounded metallic, the shadows still hiding it. Scott heard the unmistakeable cock of a gun.

"Get down!" Scott yelled as he tackled Greg, a hail of bullets were unleashed on them. Scott tackled Greg towards a coach where they hid behind it, moving closer to the center as the bullets shredded the couch.

"Crap" Scott muttered as he huddled close to Greg behind the coach.

* * *

"Leading?!" Randy yelled, his voice cracking. "W-why the juice are we leading?! What?! Why?!"

Heidi gave a nervous smile and an apologetic shrug to the boy who was currently having a total meltdown.

"Okay everyone, it's time!" Coach Green announced as he began shoving the dancers to the center of the room. "My leads! Come on then, no time to dilly dally" He said as he began pushing Randy and Heidi towards the front, where everyone could see them.

"Coach Green! You can't just change the positions like a shoob! That wasn't the plan!" Randy suddenly whispered with intense anger, shocking both Heidi and Coach Green. His sudden burst of aggression seemed to not affect Coach Green as he merely shrugged jollily.

"Well Mr. Cunningham plans can change, it's how you deal with them that shows your true character" He said right before turning and leaving the two at the front of the other dancers.

Heidi watched as Randy looked ready to burst with either nervousness or rage, or both. In that moment she realized that Randy couldn't be her rock tonight, she'd have to be his.

As Mcfist finished his opening speech, which Randy and Heidi were not listening to, Heidi took Randy's hand gently as to not startle or pressure him.

"Randy, Randy hey" Heidi whispered, causing Randy to stare into her eyes. "It's just you and me here OK? Nothing else, just you and me"

Randy gulped nervously and nodded, the tension in his body disappearing. He continued to look into Heidi's eyes as the bands pianist began the song softly, as the keys hung in the air Randy breathed out slowly finding comfort in Heidi's blue eyes, wait blue? The red tint that had invaded his vision the entire night, it was gone.

The rest of the band joined in, signalling the start of the dance. Randy straightened his back and took a step back, Heidi following. As he danced he looked at nothing else but the girl in front of him, everything else just melted away, she had always held him together and now was no different.

* * *

"Keep it together Greg!" Scott yelled at Greg who was struggling to stay conscious.

Greg flinched, shaking off any signs of blacking out. Scott took a closer look and noticed how swollen Greg's face was, Greg's McForcer uniform was stained with his own blood. Scott grit his teeth in anger at whoever had done this to his friend.

"Where are your weapons Greg?" Scott said as he cursed at himself mentally for not bringing any weapons with him (Even if the school wouldn't have let him enter with any).

"What….Whatever that thing is" Greg said with painful breaths. "It took them and threw them over there" Greg motioned towards the edge of the room with his head.

Scott scanned the dark room until he made out the form of Greg's Mcfist industries tactical assault rifle. Scott thought hard while the bullets of whatever was firing at them continued to pelt into the coach.

"Scott, Scott I'm sorry I tricked you into coming here, I'm sorr—"Greg tried to wheeze out.

"No, I'm sorry I got you caught up in this" Scott apologized, his brow furrowed. "Greg listen to me, when that thing starts reloading I'm going to go for your gun, can you still use the stealth tech. in your suit? Use it that way he'll only focus on me"

"You can't expect me to just sit around while yo—"

"Greg I can't fight this thing and protect you, the second I find a way to unseal the doors you make a break for it OK?"

"…OK" Greg answered as he activated his stealth technology and blended into the background.

A bullet made its way through the thick coach and nicked Scott's ear, inciting a "Dammit" from Scott. Scott listened closely, then he heard it, the satisfying click of an empty magazine.

Scott dove, wasting no time he made a mad dash for Greg's assault rifle. Scott heard the sound of metal moving but it was too late he had grabbed the gun and rolled, just in time for him to dodge a sharp object that flew by him and imbedded itself to the wall.

"Now it's on!" Greg said, turning the safety off.

* * *

Randy and Heidi had completely lost themselves in each other and their movements. Like on the basketball court, the two were completely in sync, each stepped matched, each turn done perfectly, each sway of the hips flowed naturally, and the two had completely gone into a trance.

The other dancers only served to showcase how amazing the leads were, all eyes were on Randy and Heidi as they dominated the dance floor. "Ohhh's" and "Ahhh's" erupted from the crowd as they watched the two dance mesmerizingly, except for one person.

Mcfist stifled a yawn, he checked his watch and then sighed.

A soft smile graced Randy's face as he continued to move in tandem with Heidi who too wore a face of glee. Randy grabbed Heidi's hand and held it high, Heidi spun beautifully in place.

* * *

Scott spun around another corridor as whatever was chasing him crashed into the wall where he had previously been.

Scott fired, pelting the thing with a barrage of bullets that seemed to pang of the thing.

"Oh no" Scott muttered as the thing raised its fist, and fired some sort of blue glowing projectile.

Scott ducked, dodging the blue projectile, which exploded on impact with the wall behind him.

Scott used the dust that had formed from the explosion to hide and scurry off without the thing seeing him.

Scott made his way to the Cunningham's bedroom, causing a turret like machine to come out of a metal box that was waiting in the room. The turret opened fire.

Scott jumped to the side quickly, barely dodging it, whoever had set this trap was thorough and there were probably hundreds more around the house, but not too serious. Why hadn't they simply set up a bomb at the door? The answer that came to Scott, unfortunately was that they were toying with him, making sure his suffering was prolonged.

Scott tried to get up only to find a searing pain shoot up his leg. Looking down he saw a gun wound bleeding profusely.

Scott rolled his eyes and pulled of black neck tie, using it to tie around his wound.

Scott's mind was moving a million miles a second, but every plan he came up with ended horribly, except one, _counter attack._

Scott looked to his standard Mcfist industries assault rifle, it may have said standard but make no mistake, viceroy had made it and overachieving was one of his specialties. Scott lifted it closer to his mouth so it could register his whispering voice.

"Grenade" The gun was much larger than a normal rifle, with modifications and parts light years ahead of anything the military could come up with. A compartment on the back opened, dispensing a mini-grenade which Scott caught.

Scott heard metal klunks coming closer, so Scott ignored the pain in his leg, letting his adrenaline take over.

Thing was taking its time, confirming Scott's theory of it toying with him, like a cat plays with a mouse. Scott found the stairs and raced up them, he pulled out two metal stands from his gun and placed the gun at the top of the stairs, he then took a tiny remote that was connected to the guns side.

He jumped down the side of the stairs, making as much noise as possible to make sure his predator heard him.

He quickly scurried off, beneath the stairs to hide. His breath hitched as he saw two glowing blue eyes emerge from around the corner.

* * *

Randy dipped Heidi expertly, allowing her to see the rest of the world only for a moment before she snapped back up to him and they were once again absorbed in each other presence.

The glided across the floor, captivating everyone. It's as If the whole world stood still to make sure their dance was an uninterrupted.

* * *

The second Scott's hunter stepped in front of the stairs Scott pressed the remote in his hand, activate the riffle's automatic firing mechanism.

Whatever was hunting Scott was pelted by bullets causing it to stagger back. Scott wasted no time and unpinned the mini-grenade, jumping out of his hiding spot he threw it directly at the thing's feet. It exploded, sending Scott's opponent to the other room. Wasting no time, Scott climbed the stairs, retrieving his gun and grabbing 2 more grenades from it.

* * *

The other dancers danced around Randy and Heidi, framing them. Even as the two sweated it out, the smiles on their faces never left. In that moment and that moment alone, the two felt more connected than they had ever felt before.

* * *

"Is he gone" Greg asked, becoming visible as Scott barrelled back into the living room, still breathing hard.

"No, I only bought us some time" Scott answered, tossing a grenade at a confused Greg. "The door, we're going to blow it up!"

* * *

Randy twirled Heidi as the spot light shone and shone only on them, the two teens looking like they were dancing on moonlight.

The crowd once again gasped in amazement, all once again, except Hannibal Mcfist. He checked his watch and grinned maliciously.

Turning to Viceroy Mcfist gave off a dark smile. "It's time I check up on Mr. Elinoff"

* * *

"On the count of three, throw'em at the door" Scott said, Greg nodded in response. "One, two, thr—"

Too late, the thing that had been tormenting them crashed through the wall, knocking over all the furniture.

Scott tossed the other grenade to Greg who barely caught it. "Set them both off now! Then run and get help!"

Greg looked ready to argue as Scott pulled out his assault rifle again, Greg swallowed hard and nodded.

"Don't worry" Scott assured, a steely glare fixed on their pursuer. "I'll be right behind you"

Scott yelled a battle cry as he charged.

* * *

With one more step Randy and Heidi posed, concluding their dance. The crowd erupted into applause.

Randy and Heidi were shocked out of their little world by the thunderous cheering that filled the room. The two grinned at each other, Randy looked around, his grin falling when he still saw no sign of Scott.

* * *

Scott's opponent prepared as Scott charged at him like a bull.

Scott kicked in the opposite direction as he skidded to a halt. "Sike!" he yelled, throwing his custom Mcfist industries assault rifle at the thing.

"McAssault rifle! Activate self-destruct sequence!" He yelled at the gun, the gun beeped in compliance, the thing hunting Scott was so dumb founded it caught the gun.

The gun exploded just as Greg removed the pins from the mini-grenades and threw them at the sealed doors.

Both Scott and Greg hit the deck as they were caught between two explosions, hoping for the best. Miraculously they only suffered minor burns.

The sealed door had been blasted open! Without wasting a second Scott and Greg made a run for it. Greg ignoring the pain of his beaten body and Scott ignoring his injured leg, the two depended solely on their adrenaline.

"Greg! We have to—" Scott never finished saying as he heard what sounded like a gunshot, then multiple ones.

He turned to see Greg fall slowly, the light in his eyes gone. As Greg fell face first time stood still as Scott saw numerous bladed discs lodged deep into Greg's back, tearing through the armor and skin. The most peculiar thing was that these discs looked exactly like the ninjas' ninja rings.

Scott bit back a scream of agony as he felt something pierce his shoulder, looking at it he found something like a red spear head lodged into him, and looking back he saw a cable attached to the arm of the thing that has been trying to kill him the whole night, who was now visible due to the moonlight.

The world flew by as the cable retracted incredibly fast, pulling Scott through the air and back to the Cunninghams house, Scott screaming in pain the whole ride there.

"Tsk Tsk, almost got away Elinoff, good thing I got here just in time" Scott heard the unmistakable voice of Hannibal Mcfist come out of the robotic exoskeleton/armor the ninja once used to fight Sentinel.

* * *

Randy, Heidi and the rest of the dancers bowed as the crowd continued to applaud. The two held hands as the basked in the cheers around them. Randy looked around again hoping to see Scott, but was once again let down, his face perked up when he felt a squeeze on his hands. Looking to Heidi he saw her smiley brightly at him.

"We did it" She said in almost a whisper.

"We did" Randy nodded forgetting his disappointment at Scott's absence.

"Okay everyone, let's have another round of applause for our dancers! Ohh weren't they just enchanting" Marci announced, on the stage with a microphone, showing no signs of disappointment at Bash's absence. Everyone gave one more round of applause to which the dancers bowed again. "Now please take your seats as Hannibal Mcfist and the Sentinel will be here shortly, just in time for Hanni' to give our superpowered hero his sorries, don't cha know, so seats everyone!"

"Um I gotta…" Randy racked his brain for an excuse, Heidi just smiling and rolling her eyes at him.

"Go to the bathroom?" Heidi offered.

"Yeah, yeah!" Randy said. "I'll be right back"

"Make sure you do" Heidi said. "I'll miss you" Heidi playfully said.

"Uh-huh" Randy replied rolling his eyes. "Bye"

Just as he was about to leave he turned, leaning in he kissed Heidi's cheek, surprising himself by his sudden urge to do so and at him actually following through with it. The two froze for a second, Randy being the first to regain his senses, panicked.

"That was-uh, um" He croaked. "A good bye kiss or something…I really gotta go bye!"

He ran off, leaving Heidi there as a blushing mess and holding her cheek.

"Look up!" Someone yelled as a hole opened up on the gym's roof. "It's a bird! It's a…wait it's just a bird"

The bird flew in through the hole and perched itself on one of the roof's beams.

"Wait for real this time!" The same person yelled, as Sentinel descended through the hole this time.

He floated down to the stage as the crowd applauded, wearing his Sentinel costume but with a bowtie, everyone figured that it was intentionally, but Heidi had a feeling he had put it on by accident.

Heidi giggled when Sentinel stumbled on the stage when he landed, knowing that he was still probably flustered from the kiss he gave her earlier.

"Now Hannibal Mcfist!" Marci said looking to the opposite side of the stage, waiting for Hannibal to emerge. "Hani? Where are you sugar lumps?"

Viceroy walked onto the stage and awkwardly fixed his bowtie. He gave an apologetic smile to Marci, Sentinel and the crowd.

"I apologize Marci, It seems like Hannibal has _important_ work to take care of" Viceroy said cryptically. "So I'll have to take his place, don't worry I have his speech here anyway"

Sentinel and Heidi found it odd that Mcfist was nowhere to be found, Sentinel merely shrugged it off knowing that he had already gotten an apology from Hannibal earlier today anyway.

"We are standing here tonight" Viceroy started. "To formally apologize to you, Sentinel for being manipulated into believing you had become a threat all those weeks ago…."

* * *

"Mcfist!" Scott growled, still sprawled on his back.

"Dogs shouldn't bark back at their masters, Elinoff" Mcfist replied condescendingly through the suit. "Brings you back to old times huh Scott? You lying on your back, bleeding out and me standing above you, deciding whether or not you deserve to live. I saved you last time Scott or did you forget?"

"How could I when you constantly remind me" Scott grumbled while rolling his eyes. "Difference is that this time you're the one threatening to put me under"

"No you shoob" Mcfist said as he began to pace. "You did that to yourself. You had to go digging, you couldn't let things stay buried could you? Just like the Cunninghams"

"Cunninghams?" Scott asked aloud. Mcfist turned as he began to pace, and Scott knew this was when Mcfist would get into one of his famous rants, while his back was turned Scott pulled out his phone but couldn't get a signal, as if something was jamming it. Scott sighed as a plan formed in his head, no calling for help didn't mean all the phones functions were out too…

"Yes Scott, like the Cunninghams" the ninja cyber armor turned quickly and growled with Mcfist's voice. "Ungrateful idiots, all of you!" Scott heard something that sounded like an object being smashed from the ninja armors speakers, Mcfist must have crushed something in anger Scott guessed.

Mcfist used the ninja armor to pull the grappling hook and cord, which was still lodged into Scott's shoulder, out of Scott. Scott yelled in agony as the hook was torn out of his shoulder.

"I give and I give and all I get in return is this!" Mcfist bellowed. "I give them the money to do their research and they go snooping, I save your life and you go snooping. Ingrates all of you! So what if I wanted those super powers for myself, I let them finish their life's work! And then they spit in my face! And you Scott…"

Scott scrambled away as the ninja armor stalked closer and closer to him. IT grabbed Scott by the throat and lifted him up.

"I saved your life!" Mcfist barked as he squeezed on Scott's throat tighter. "I gave you a team! A purpose! And you betray me! For what?! That stupid kid?!"

"Leave…Randy…Out...of…this!" Scott choked out, his face turning purple. Scott heard something that sounded like a growl come from the speakers and he was abruptly dropped, gasping for air.

"Oh he is the farthest thing from "away from this" as that wonk can be!" Mcfist spat back. "Me and Viceroy, yeah we've got a little surprise for him later tonight"

Scott growled as he heard Mcfist laugh maniacally through the ninja armors.

"Scott, Scott, Scott" Mcfist shook his head. "I **had** to kill the Cunninghams, they were buffoons who believed that if we gave people super powers they'd use them for good, so I had too, but you and me Scott? We get it, we know how hard the world is and how we can only look out for number 1! So I'll give you one last chance, drop the snooping, drop the kid, drop everything, and I will let you work for me again. Ain't I a generous guy?"

"Y-you seriously think I'm still going to go back to being your dog?" Scott said as he slowly rose to his feet.

"Why not?" Mcfist asked as he used the ninja armor to loom over Scott, creating an imposing figure that cast a shadow on Scott. "That's the reason you agreed the first time, to save your skin, just do it again"

The iron suit filled with weapons and destructive capabilities stood right in front of Scott, he knew it could kill him in a heartbeat. He had no weapons, he was bleeding from his shoulder and his leg wound had started acting up again, Scott felt completely and utterly helpless. In that moment he was brought back to when he was still a young and arrogant mercenary who thought he could take out Mcfist, stuck in a ditch, with death right above him, he was scared, my god was Scott scared. If he was still the same man his instincts would have told him one thing, _survive at any cost_ , but he was not the same man anymore, he had found something worth protecting more than his own skin.

With a shaky breathe and eyes of pure defiance, he gave his answer. "No"

The ninja armor leaned in closer, Scott could hear Mcfist's voice gain an edge. "Think about what you—"

"No"

"Think about what you're saying Scott!" Mcfist snapped, causing Scott to flinch. "You could make it out of this alive, you could have your place at Mcfist industries back and you're going to throw that all away for a kid I threw at you? No not a kid an assignment? Don't be an idiot Scott, come back, be my soldier again"

"I may…I may have been your soldier" Scott grit his teeth and shook his head as he felt tears sting his eyes. "But god damn it I'm that kid's father! I raised that _assignment_ for six years with every ounce of love I could give him so damn it he is my son and I will put him above everything every time. You may have saved my life all those years ago, but that kid gave me a life worth living"

"Bad choice Elinoff" The armor spoke before it launched something into the air.

Scott watched as a metal cube rose a little bit before growing propellers and began hovering in the air, a lens and a blinking light on the front of it as it watched them.

Next Scott watched in awe as the ninja armor folded in on itself and rearranged its part, much like a transformer does, until it became a familiar but new shape. Scott's breathe hitched when he saw the ninja armor had transformed to look exactly like the ninja herself.

The ninja replica pulled from its back a ninja sword. Scott could tell that it wasn't a copy, it was the real deal.

"If you're wondering about where I got this" Mcfist's voice came out of the ninja replica. "Let's say a robot of mine procured this little trophy for me. Well Scott, this is good bye, I have other things to do, make sure to smile for the camera"

With that Mcfist just went silent as the ninja replica stood there ominously holding a dangerously sharp blade.

Scott let out a shaky breathe, looking down he saw his phone which he had placed on the ground earlier still there and still intact. On it the screen had the words "Audio recording 00:20:34" still active on his phone. Scott let the tears come, flowing out of his eyes, he thought that your whole life was supposed to flash before your eyes before you die, but for Scott only the 6 years that mattered did, the 6 years he spent raising his son, despite everything he smiled.

"Mcfist" Scott said at the silent robot in front of him" If you can still hear me, my son will stop you, Randy will stop you"

The suspense was agony to Scott as he watched the robot just stand there like a statue. Scott exhaled as his tears continued to fall from his eyes.

"What are you waiting for?" He asked, barely a whisper. "Do it..."

The machine finally moved. Scott closed his eyes as he felt cold steel pierce his heart.

* * *

Heidi entered the school rooftop to find Randy there, leaning on the waist high railing with his elbows. He was already out of his Sentinel costume and in his tuxedo once again. He just stood there looking down at the people below.

In the moonlight under the stars, Heidi had almost decided that the he looked both handsome and serene, that was until he chucked some spit down towards some of the people leaving/entering the building.

"Gross" Heidi said, with her hands on her hips. Randy jumped like a startled cat and spun to see Heidi there.

"H-how long have you been standing there?" Randy asked with a sheepish grin.

"Long enough to see shoot out a loogie" Heidi answered walking up to him and leaning on the railing next to him.

"Ah, so not very long" Randy smirked. "Because I've been doing that for 5 minutes now"

"You are the worst" Heidi replied rolling her eyes.

"I needed to entertain myself" He said, putting his face in his palm and staring at Heidi.

"There's a whole party downstairs that could entertain you" Heidi answered. _The whole party is for you, you shoob,_ she thought. "So where were you? I thought you'd want to see the Sentinel get that apology he deserved"

Randy shrugged. "Blegh, watching a guy o up a stage and accept a handshake, an apology and then some applause isn't really what I'd consider a bruce time, besides I need some time alone to think"

"Didn't think you were the type who did that sort of thinking, didn't even know you could think" Heidi replied, earning a playful shove. "So what'cha thinking about?"

"Stuff, like why isn't Scott here?" Randy answered looking towards the sky.

"I'm sure he wanted to Randy" Heidi said, scooting closer to him. "I'm sure he had a reason"

"Yeah, I know, I'm not mad, just a little disappointed" Randy half smiled. "Besides, not the only thing I'm thinking about tonight"

"And what else is eating at that noggin of yours" Heidi asked, smiling at Randy.

Randy took his eyes off the sky and turned to Heidi, licking his lips nervously as he smiled. "You"

"Oh" Heidi answered, blushing and tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"Ok, here goes" Randy said more to himself than to Heidi. Randy stopped leaning on the railing and stood up straight facing Heidi. Heidi in turn, hesitantly stopped leaning as well and turned slowly to face him, confused by the sudden tension.

"Heidi, I-you" Randy began, stuttering slightly. "You know, I trust you right?"

"Yeah?" Heidi said, raising an eyebrow.

"No I don't think you do" Randy said, licking his lips. "Whenever I felt down, you'd swoop in and just talk to me, and that saved me more than once, I don't think you understand how much that means to me"

Randy climbed up the railing and balanced on it, he gave Heidi a serious look then extended his hand.

"Heidi, I want you to be a part of my life, **all** of it" Randy said. "So if you trust me, then I have something to show"

Heidi knew where this was going, and it only made the guilt in her stomach grow larger, it felt like a knife that had been stabbed in her gut was suddenly being twisted. But she had to give him an answer, and despite her senses telling her no, she reached out and let him bring her up on the railing with him.

She nearly lost her footing, but fell on Randy's chest. He barely flinched when catching her, she ran a hand up his tuxedoed chest noticing that he had untied his bowtie. She looked into his eyes and saw he had a relieved smile on his face, he had feared she would reject him.

He snaked his arm around her waist, careful not to touch her back which was exposed due to the backless dress, his other hand going to the buttons of his dress shirt.

"Last chance to back out" Randy offered.

She wanted to, oh cheese did she want to. But how could she, when he was looking at her like that. That look of adoration that had stripped her heart of all defences again and again, how could she even think about backing out now. So she nodded slowly in response.

Randy nodded right back. With a single push of his leg he and Heidi left the railing. They never fell, he hugged her tightly as they drifted in the air higher and higher.

Randy must have taken her look of guilt as a look of fear.

"Don't worry" He smiled reassuringly. "I've got you"

The rose high enough that Heidi marvelled at how beautiful the moon looked. Randy had unbuttoned his dress shirt and underneath was his costume.

"I'm the Sentinel" Randy said.

There it was, he did it, he really did it, and oh boy did he do it. Heidi felt guilty, oh cheese did she feel guilty. Here he was baring everything to her, and she didn't even have the decency to do the same. She hated herself, she hated that she felt like she needed her double life to still be hidden from him, she hated that she felt like the ninja was impotent as long as the all-powerful Sentinel was around, if she revealed her secret identity that would be accepting him as an equal and not as a student anymore, and she was scared that he and everyone else would realize she wasn't strong enough anymore if they were on the same playing field, or maybe she was scared she would realize that.

Randy must have taken her look of guilt as a look of fear, because his own face darkened.

"Oh no" He muttered, descending quickly and landing on the rooftop again. "You're scared, you're freaking out"

"Huh?" Heidi replied, her bewilderment apparent on her face.

"This was a mistake, haha, hoo boy" Randy said as he began sweating bullets, clearly the one who was actually freaking out. "Do over? C-can we do that? This is a dream, forget everything you saw, um, uh"

Randy could feel the pain in his gut return as his vision started to tint once again towards a crimson color.

Heidi swallowed hard as she watched Randy flounder. _Tell him_ , her conscience told her, _No don't¸_ the dark little voice inside her commanded. She grasped Randy's hands, halting his meltdown. _Tell him, don't, tell him, don't,_ her options bounced around in her head, confusing her. _Just tell him the truth!_

"Randy, I-I" Heidi started, staring into Randy's eyes calming him down. "I like you"

 _Wait no not that truth!_ All sides of her mind screamed.

The pain and the red that had invaded his senses left Randy. "You, what?"

"I-I-I" Heidi tried desperately to explain herself, and failing.

Randy took a step forward, causing Heidi to flinch and take a step, a strand of her hair falling in front of her face. She stood still as Randy took another step, bringing him right in front of her.

She shut her eyes, fearing his reaction. _Shoob! Shoob! Shoob!_ She berated herself for potentially destroying whatever relationship they had previously had by confessing the wrong secret, a secret she wasn't even sure she had until he had to go and get her heart fluttering nonstop by _trusting her whole heartedly and unconditionally._

She was expecting him to walk off, or freak out, or _reject her_ and say they couldn't even be friends anymore. She wasn't expecting him to tuck her hair behind her ear and lean in close.

"I like you too" He said in almost a whisper, but she heard it, and hearing it sure maybe the butterflies in her stomach go into a frenzy.

She opened her eyes to see him so _close_ , she wanted him closer. He cupped her cheek gently and cautiously, scared of overstepping boundaries. She let him, no she leaned into it, liking the feeling of his hand on her cheek.

"Can I?" Randy asked, with those eyes again, those eyes that looked at her like she was all that mattered in that moment. She knew what he was asking permission for and she wanted to tell him yes, it hung on the tip of her tongue, but her stomach was doing backflips, her mind was racing and she was in too much euphoria to utter a single word, so she nodded.

Randy cupped her other cheek, swallowed hard and kissed her. The pale moonlight illuminated their forms as they kissed, for maybe less than a second. It was short, but gentle, the two teens faces were tinted a deep red as their eyes had decided they wanted to look at anything other than each other, eventually they did make eye contact again. Heidi inhaled and this time she took the initiative, kissing him much more aggressively than he had done to her.

Heidi kissed Randy deeply and fiercely, stoking a spark that was in him into an inferno. He snaked his arms around her waist, pulling her closer as he kissed her back just as deeply. Heidi ran her hands up Randy's chest, feeling the transition from his smooth dress shirt to his textured Sentinel costume then to the warm skin of his neck, she placed her arms around his neck and wanting the same thing he did.

She shuddered as his hands found a way to her back, which was still bare due to the design of her dress, his coarse fingers tracing patterns on them, she couldn't help but let a moan escape her lips. She in turn ran her hands through his hair, completely messing up all the work he had done to keep it in place, but neither cared right then.

"Am I the only one who knows?" Heidi asked breaking their lip lock only for a few minutes to pant and regain her breath, before he answered Randy seized her lips again.

"Scott knows, Mcfist knows and the Mcforcers know" Randy peppered lips with kisses in between his words. "I'm…thinking…of…telling…Howard"

"About you being the Sentinel or about us?" Heidi asked as she began giving him butterfly kissed down his jaw line and onto his neck, inciting a groan from Randy.

"Whichever freaks him out more" Randy answered as he rested his forehead on Heidi's, causing her to chuckle.

As they were about to continue their make out session Heidi's honed senses picked up the sound of footsteps coming up towards the roof.

Heidi pulled away, causing Randy to kiss nothing but air, like a child who was just denied a piece of candy he whined, causing Heidi to laugh at his cute pout.

"Someone's gonna see us" Heidi protested, Randy tried to go in for another kiss, but she stopped him with a finger on his lips.

"So?" Randy asked.

"Kid! Kid! Where are you?!" Randy heard the unmistakable yelling of Mcfist.

"Uh-oh, it's my boss" Randy said. "Guess you're right, uh, go hide"

The two split, Randy's fingers lingered while holding Heidi's, she smiled and he let her go and hid in the shadows where Mcfist wouldn't be able to see her.

Mcfist burst through the door, holding his phone up high. "There you are!"

"Mr. Mcf-I mean Hannibal, hey!" Randy greeted, hoping his blush would go down soon. "If this is about you missing the speech, don't worry I don't mind"

"What?" Mcfist asked raising an eyebrow. "Whatever I don't care about that, I have something to show you, it's really important! This was taken at your parents house"

The seriousness of Mcfist's tone, brought Randy back down from his emotional high. He swallowed hard as he accepted the phone Mcfist shoved into his hands.

Heidi watched from the shadows as Randy slowly turned to the phone. Heidi watched as Randy's face went through a range of emotions, from curiosity to confusion then shock then finally despair.

"NO!" He yelled causing Heidi and Mcfist to flinch at his sudden outburst.

In an instant the railing was destroyed as Randy flew at full speed right through it. Heidi had to cover her mouth with her hands to stop herself from yelping or calling after him.

Heidi looked at the directions Randy flew off in then back at Mcfist. Her brow scrunched in confusion as he just looked towards the sky, a satisfied grin on his face, he turned on his heel, whistling a tune and walked back downstairs.

Heidi emerged from the shadows and found the phone Randy dropped near the edge of the rooftop. She hesitantly picked it up and saw a video on the screen, she clicked the replay button and she gasped in shock.

On it was Scott Elinoff, this is where she figured Randy's guardian was, but what shocked her was that the ninja was there too. The fake ninja held the ninja sword tightly and Heidi watched anxiously, dreading what she suspected was coming, and then it happened.

Her eyes widened and her stomach did a backflip at what happened next, the fake stabbed Scott through the heart, killing him.

"Oh no…" She muttered looking off into the direction Randy had flown off too.

* * *

Randy landed softly at the edge of his old houses walkway.

Randy breaths were shallow as he walked slowly and hesitantly, his blinking porch light was the only source of illumination.

He bumped into something on the ground, looking down he nearly screamed. Randy crouched and examined the dead body, he covered his mouth when he saw Greg's lifeless face. He examined the numerous ninja rings sticking out of his back, Randy bit back a choke and shook his head, trying desperately to convince himself that he was dreaming.

He turned slowly to the slump figured on his front porch, knowing but dreading what he would find. Randy forced himself to walk closer, seeing the unmistakable form of the ninja sword protruding out of the figures chest, his eyes slowly trailed upwards to the figures face, Randy breaking into a sprint when his eyes confirmed his greatest fear.

"Scott! Scott! No no no no…" He let out a strangled cry as he slid up next to Scott's motionless body.

Randy looked furiously at the weapon imbedded in Scott's chest, no doubt about it, it was the ninjas. He slowly pulled the sword out of Scott's chest, hoping to see a reaction, furiously he threw the sword away when Scott gave none.

"Scott please" Randy begged as tears fell from his eyes, his cries were muffled as he dug his face into Scott's blood stained shirt. "Don't leave me too"

Randy heard the sound of two feet landing at the edge of the walkway, he already knew who it was.

"Why…" He seethed, not lifting his head from Scott's chest, clinging on in the shallow hopes that he'd hear a heartbeat again.

"Randy, I know what this looks like" The ninja said, her hands raised to show him she was unarmed. "But you have to listen to me"

"It was your sword…" He replied, face still buried.

"I know it was my sword, but someone took it and whoever did also did this" The ninja explained.

"I saw you…" He shook violently, not listening to her. "Haven't I lost enough?"

"Dammit Randy listen to me!" The ninja yelled. "We've been played before!"

"You did this" Randy raised his head, the ninja gasped when she saw his eyes. His irises had turned glowing yellow and his sclera pitch black, that's why he wasn't listening to her, whatever fear formula had taken control of her had somehow been given to him too.

"Randy plea—"The ninja tried to say.

"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" Randy roared.

The ninja saw as the a few pebbles and rocks began levitating near Randy's feet, she's known him long enough to know that that was a clear sign of him about to take off at full power. Wasting no time she ducked and rolled out of the way, just in time to see a tuxedoed blur zoom past her and crash into the house across the street, screams of terror from the family within cam next. Luckily the ninja didn't see anyone hurt in the rubble of what once was that family's living room.

Randy growled as he emerged from the rubble, malice filled eyes dead set on the ninja. The ninja gulped, grabbing a smoke bomb from her belt she prepared to throw it down, Randy not letting her shot a quick concentrated blast of cyan energy from his eyes, momentarily burning the ninja's fingers and causing her to yelp and drop the smokebomb. Randy tried charge her with his insane flying speed once again, but the ninja was too quick, she stepped on the smokebomb pellet on the ground, activating it and hiding her.

He stopped directly in the middle of the smoke, the air from his speed blowing it away. He looked around furiously as he found she had disappeared.

"Stop hiding!" Randy yelled out loud, igniting his energy bolts and blasting anything that so much as looked like a suspicious shadow.

While Randy was distracted the ninja had made her way to Scott's body, she nearly vomited at the sight of the dried blood on his shirt. She hung her head in sadness.

She looked around for a clue, for anything that could help her solve this mystery. She looked on the ground and found nothing but the sword Randy had thrown, she looked at it and sighed, knowing it was hers without a doubt. As she was about to reach for it, some light was reflecting off it, and it wasn't coming from the blinking porch, she followed the direction the light would be coming from and saw something small and bright under Scott's body.

She reached under him and found a phone. Its battery was almost dead but it was still recording something, she stopped the recording and hit 10 minutes back. She heard nothing but crickets, probably a while after Scott had died and no one came by, she went back another 10 minutes and scowled when yet again she heard nothing. She decided to go back 30 minutes and then she heard voices.

" _I saved your life!"_ She heard the unmistakable voice of Hannibal Mcfist. _"I gave you a team! A purpose! And you betray me! For what?! That stupid kid?!"_

" _Leave…Randy…Out...of…this!"_ The ninja heard Scott choke out.

" _Oh he is the farthest thing from "away from this" as that wonk can be!"_ She gasped when she heard Mcfist say that. _"Me and Viceroy, yeah we've got a little surprise for him later tonight"_

"Mcfist…" The ninja whispered to herself, too shocked to comprehend the truth. It wasn't much but it was the only lead she had, so she was going to chase it.

The ninja's senses detected some trouble and she looked up just in time to see Randy had spotted her. His rage had doubled when he saw her next to Scott's body.

"Get away from him!" Randy yelled as he shot towards her again like a bullet.

"I'm sorry Randy" The ninja said, tears in her eyes as well. "I'll fix this, I promise"

With that she threw a smokebomb on the ground, just in time for Randy to skid to a halt and find her gone once again.

He cried out in anger and pain when he realized she had disappeared again, which turned into soft a soft whimper when he saw Scott's motionless form once again. Sinking to his knees he cried as he rested his forehead on Scott's.

* * *

 **And another chapter down!**

 **See in my original outline i was going to leave you on Scott's death, then on the next one I'd leave you on Randy snapping on the ninja, and the more I thought about it the more I didn't like ending two chapters back to back on a cliff hanger especially ones like this, so there ya goooo.**

 **Tell me what you thought :)**


	13. Chapter 13

**Yay done! Sorry for the super slow update guys**

 **School is startin again here and I have a lot of things to get organized and as u can see its taking up a lot of my time, but now that I am fully enrolled hopefully the 5 days of freedom I have left will be enough time to churn out another chapter maybe I hope probably yikes.**

 **Aww it warms my heart that some people actually liked scott enough to feel sad about his death :D not that I like making u guys feel bad or anything like that, so don't get it twisted.**

 **Anyway enjoy**

* * *

 _Grey_

That's the word she would use to describe the sky, the mood and the tombstones.

 _Black_

That's the word she'd use to describe the clothes, the soil and the caskets.

Heidi stood solemnly with Howard in their black formal wear as they watched 2 sets of men carry Scott and Greg's caskets towards their gravesites. They stood around men and women whom they did not know, Heidi recognized most of them as McForcemen, but the one person they hoped would be there wasn't. Randy's seat was empty, they had delayed the funeral for almost 2 hours in hopes that he would show up, but he never did.

Time seemed to slip by for Heidi as the funeral continued, every minute she'd look for those purple spikes, but before she knew it, Scott and Greg were lowered into the ground and the funeral was over.

She walked absently to her parent's car, pulling out a laptop from her knapsack, but it wasn't her usual hot pink laptop, this one was Scott's dark grey laptop. She had "borrowed" it from Randy's house, the recording of Mcfist's confession in Scott's phone was titled "evidence #31", Heidi had come to the conclusion that if this was number 31 there were 30 others and if they weren't in the phone they were in his laptop, she had followed her journalism instincts and they paid off. Heidi had found a whole folder of dirt linked directly to Mcfist, unfortunately the entre folder could only be opened by a unique program in the laptop, and the program in question was password protected. Heidi knew only Randy would be able to help her with that, but that brought her to her other problem, Randy had been taken over by some sort of fear formula and now set his sights on the ninja, believing she was the culprit who had killed Scott.

She was about to try and type in a random password and get the program to run with pure luck, but like the other 5 times she tried earlier that day.

"You kids ready to go?" Mort Weinerman asked. "Did you find Randy?"

"No" Howard answered dejectedly. "Still no sign of him"

For 4 days Randy hadn't returned home, no one had seen him for days. They had however seen a blur of blue and black patrolling the city as if looking for something, Heidi thanked her luck that no kid had gotten stanked in those few days, postponing her inevitable confrontation with an unhinged Sentinel.

"That's too bad" Mort replied frowning. "Let's go home, maybe when we get there we'll see him right next door"

"Mort, you've been saying tha—"Howard was about to say until Heidi interrupted him.

"Wait" Heidi said patting he pockets. "I think I left my phone back there"

Without waiting for a reply Heidi hopped out of the car and briskly walked back towards where the clean-up crew were keeping all the tables, flowers and chairs. She walked up to one of them and asked if they had seen her pink phone, the clean-up crew woman walked over to a box on the table which was full of stuff people had forgotten to take before leaving and found Heidi's phone, she handed it to Heidi as Heidi thanked her.

She began walking back towards her car when she noticed someone walking towards Scott's grave, and her heart stopped.

She turned sharply to see Randy walking up the small hill, a bouquet of flowers in his hand. She simply stood and watched his back as he stopped right in front of the freshly buried dirt, placing the flowers down.

Her body finally listened to her brain as she walked up slowly towards him. Stopping a few feet away from him, he was still wearing that ripped up tuxedo, and he looked like hadn't bathed in a while, smelled like it too.

She just watched his back for a few seconds, not knowing what to say. Luckily Randy broke the silence first.

"Scott told me, about his parents and his grandparents, they would travel the world, to exotic jungles bringing with them their weapons and traps, collecting pelts and horns" Randy spoke without turning. "They were hunters"

"Randy…" Heidi said softly.

"Scott's was a hunter too, he just started hunting people back in his mercenary days" Randy said, turning and revealing his still glowing yellow eye and black sclera. "It looks like I'm going to have to follow their footsteps, but I'll be hunting a ninja"

"We're worried about you Randy" Heidi told him. "You're not OK"

"Of course I'm not" Randy spun around, his face contorted in rage, causing Heidi to flinch. "Twice, I've lost my family twice…and it was by someone I thought I could trust…" His voiced cracked.

"I can't even imagine what you're going through—"Heidi said taking a step towards the boy.

"No, you can't" Randy growled as he began levitating.

"Randy no" Heidi begged, taking another step towards him. "Don't go"

"Don't try and stop me" Randy said, making his eyes blaze with energy, trying and failing to deter Heidi's advances. "I'm going to take from her what she took from Scott"

"Randy this…this is wrong" She said, defiantly walking right up to him and getting in his face. "And I know that you know that"

The two locked eyes and stared glared at each other, neither backing down. Heidi's face suddenly softened as she reached up and gently held Randy's cheek.

"Please Randy, comeback to us" Heidi pleaded. Randy faltered, leaning into her palm, she could see it, the brilliant blue in his eyes returning slowly and the dark receding, but he snapped and shoved her away.

"No!" He chastised himself, he lifted higher in the air his pupils poisonously yellow and his sclera pitch black again. "I'm sorry Heidi, but the ninja has to die"

"Randy stop!" Heidi's voice cracked. "You're a hero, you and the ninja you can't do this!"

"She wasn't a hero when she took Scott from me" Randy said as he lifted higher. "And neither will I be when I destroy her"

He turned and flew off a sonic boom erupting from him as he sped off. After recovering from the thunderous crack in the air Heidi merely watched as Randy flew away, clenching her fist fists until her knuckles turned white.

"Hey what's taking so lon—"Howard said as he jogged up to Heidi, he stopped when he saw her face contorted in anger and despair. "What happened?"

"Nothing" She spat, digging in her pockets. "You and dad go on ahead and tell him I'll be out with a friend"

"And where pray tell will you really be?" Howard asked, knowing this was ninja business.

"I'll be paying a scientist a visit" Heidi said pulling out her ninja mask.

* * *

Viceroy tapped his fingers impatiently on his check list as he watched roboapes move heavy Mcfist industries crates from a delivery truck into one of Mcfists storage warehouses.

Viceroy let out a wry sigh as the last one was brought into the warehouse, he followed the cargo inside right before the giant cargo doors closed.

"Why again am I here overseeing this? I am the head scientist here at Mcfist industries and yet here I am" Viceroy complained to one of the roboapes. "Having to supervise you all like a camp counsellor"

"Well sir, we needed more roboapes to raise security as the McForcers are currently not around" The roboape explained in that robotic way roboapes usually talk. "And you are the only one who can supervise and make sure we are working properly"

"It was a rhetorical question" Viceroy sneered at the bot. "Why'd all the McForcers have to leave"

"To mourn for the death of their superior officer" The roboape answered.

"That was also a rhetorical question" Viceroy sighed.

"Sir" Another roboape called Viceroy's attention.

"What?" Viceroy answered emotionlessly as he reviewed his checklist again.

"There seems to be a problem with storage room F-16" The roboape reported. "Roboape serial number 216 never returned after storing the crates of power couplings"

Viceroy groaned. "He probably just took a swig of oil and fell asleep"

"Company policy subsection 8, article 37 states—"

"I know what the company policy states!" viceroy complained. "Fine, I'll send 3 roboapes to go get him and check it out, honestly a waste of time"

The 3 roboapes entered the storage room and began searching for their missing brethren.

Crossing his legs Viceroy sat on a crate as he pulled out his Mcfist-pad and used to access the security camera in the storage room. A roboape handed Viceroy a latte which Viceroy began drinking while watching the 3 roboapes search.

Inside the storage room the 3 roboapes searched everywhere, even under crates. The lead roboape was about to call in a report when something bumped his leg. He looked down and a robotic gasp escaped his lips as he saw the severed head of the missing roboape, the other two roboapes vomited oil as they gazed up on it.

The lead roboape followed the path it rolled from to the corner of the room, he saw a red scarf at the bottom and his eyes trailed upwards slowly, he gulped nervously as his eyes landed on the ninja hunched on the roofs corner. A metallic scream was heard as the ninja pounced.

Viceroy spat out his drink as he saw his roboapes get slaughtered off camera, the angle could not capture who or what their assailant was, but Viceroy had a pretty good idea. He stood up abruptly and walked towards the doors swiftly.

"We're leaving. Now!" Viceroy commanded as a number of roboapes followed him. "Engage blaster mode just in case"

All the roboapes right hands retreated into their large forearms as blaster replaced them. Viceroy, surrounded by his armed guard of roboapes, walked hurriedly as he perspired thoroughly.

Viceroy flinched and stopped when he heard a noise come from above and drop down, instantly all the roboapes aimed their weapon and what had fallen. A small ball no bigger than a golf ball, tensely all the roboapes moved closer, blasters still pointed at it. Viceroy watched intently, wiping the sweat away from his forehead with his forearm.

They were all blinded as the ball exploded and an intense bright white light attacked their vision. Blinded and disoriented they could not see the ninja above on the roof rafters throwing more small black balls precisely and accurately into the roboapes blasters, the balls exploded not in light but in shrapnel warping and destroying most of the roboapes blasters.

They regained their senses just in time to see the ninja drop down near one of the roboapes whose blaster was still functional, grabbing him by his blaster arm and flipping him so hard a metallic crunch was heard as he was slammed against the floor. Still holding his arm, she used the robots destroyed form and threw it at another roboape, knocking it down with its own comrades destroyed body.

Another roboape whose blaster was still working got over the blindness and started shooting at the ninja, the ninja dodged and curled her scarf, throwing it like a whip the scarf wrapped around the roboapes neck. In an instant the ninja pulled him in and just as he reached her she delivered a metal shattering punch that sent the roboape skidding across the room, it seems she wasn't just using her fist, she was also using ninja bronze knuckles which were capable of flattening steel.

The only roboape with a blaster shakily pointed it at the ninja, the ninja pulled out a ninja ring and with expert aim struck the roboape right in the chest, the ring penetrating his core and causing him to explode.

As the roboape exploded behind the ninja, illuminating her form, she used her forearm to redirect a roboapes punch and her other hand to punch another roboape square in the jaw, knocking said jaw clean off, she then grabbed the first roboape by the head and twisted it clean off .

All that were left were the roboapes with destroyed blasters and they backed away in fear.

"You have swords! You idiots!" Viceroy screamed as he stared retreating deeper into the warehouse since the ninja was blocking the exit.

"Oh yeah" One of the roboapes remembered, _ca-chinks!_ Were heard as short blades emerged from the roboapes other arms and they stalked closer to the ninja.

The ninja let her bronze knuckles slip from her fingers as she pulled out two ninja sai's. She yelled a battle cry as she charged them, throwing one sai into the head of the closest roboape then leaping on him and retrieving her sai and front flipping off as the robot fell to the ground.

The four remaining roboapes charged her and attacked simultaneously, the ninja dodging and weaving all of their slashes. She dodged two swiped of their mangled blaster arms, then used her sai's to block the other two who tried to cut her as she dodged. Using her sais she impaled one of the roboapes sword arms and used their own arm to block another roboapes swipe then she kicked the roboapes legs crippling it. She let go of the roboape she was using as a weapon and gave him a vicious uppercut with the handle of her sai.

A roboape tried charging at her but she merely redirected him then flipped him on his back. She straddled the roboape and flipped her sai over, using the butt of its handle to beat the roboapes face in until it was mangled and unrecognizable.

Another roboape limped over taking advantage of the fact the ninja was distracted by beating his brethren into the ground. The roboape had the bright idea to use his mangled blaster to try and blow the ninjas head off, sneaking up behind the ninja he aimed the broken gun at her head, unfortunately all that came out was a tiny blast that only inconvenienced the ninja causing her to grunt. She stood up abruptly and grabbed the roboapes blaster gun arm and flipped herself so she was facing away from the roboape, she then brought his arm up and back down on her shoulder, a sicken metal crunch was heard as she broke the roboapes arm clean off, she then ducked and swept her feet in a circle, tripping the roboape.

The only two roboapes still barely functioning decided to work together. As the ninja was still crouched the roboape ran up to her and kicked her in face, she grunted in pain as her head was snapped backwards (but not enough to kill her), from behind the other roboape grabbed her scarf and pulled her down, hoping to limit her movements as she lay on her back. The roboapes reeled back their swords, ready to stab, but the ninja prepared her sais, even as she shimmed backwards on her back she defended and blocked every one of their stabs.

One of the roboapes broke through as he stabbed her in the right shoulder, she creamed in pain and anger, and using her sai she severed the roboapes hand while it was still attached to her. She kicked the handless roboapes shin causing him to fall, she held up her sai, the roboape's head getting impaled on it. She rolled and dodged the last roboapes desperate stab and she got to her feet. The roboape was visibly shaking in fear at this point, the ninja dropped her said and walked angrily up to the last roboape, she grunted as she pulled the roboape sword hand out of her shoulder, blood oozing through, and using it to stab the last roboape in the chest then throw him against the wall, destroying the concrete.

In all the commotion Viceroy had retreated into the warehouse to look for another exit, nut all he found was a dead end. Right before he turned around the light flickered, he stopped, still staring at the wall in front of him. The light turned from white to red, signalling that the power had been cut and the warehouse is now on its backup power source, but all it signalled for Viceroy was that the situation got a thousand times scarier.

He turned slowly to see the ninja standing ominously at the end of the hallway, heaving, dripping blood from her shoulder and bathed in red light. The red light flickered and for a moment the world was dark, when it came back on she was gone. Viceroy waited for what felt like ages finally the light flickered again, the dark was present for only a moment, but once it vanished she was already in front of him.

She shoved him up against the wall and held him up by his shirt's collars.

"Don't scream" She seethed, silencing the scream that was travelling up Viceroy's throat. "Randy Cunningham, what did you do to him?"

"I-I don't know what you're talking about!" Viceroy squeaked unconvincingly.

"Fine, make this difficult" The ninja said, an evil gleam in her eyes. "I've been having a bad couple of days and if that scene back there didn't clue you in, I just used you guys as a way to vent so by all mean…"

She let go of him with one hand, three sharp spikes growing out of the knuckles of her ninja suits glove.

"LET ME VENT" She grunted reeling back her clawed hand aiming at Viceroy's face.

"I'll talk! I'll talk!" Viceroy screamed just as he saw her fist sailing right at him, he shut his eyes anticipating the painful sting of getting your face impaled, but he felt nothing.

Cracking an eye open Viceroy saw a lack of red spikes attached to his face, but looking to the side he found a fist impression on the wall with three deep holes in the knuckle area.

"Good" The ninja said, holding a small green ball in front of Viceroy.

She crushed it, purple gas coming out of it. Viceroy inhaled and suddenly felt very woozy, before long his mind slipped and darkness took his senses.

* * *

"Heidi!" Howard yelled looking for his sister, looking in their families' garage. "Heidi! While mom and dad are away they said that you have to do the dishes!"

Instead of finding his sister in the garage Howard instead found a tall black man in a lab coat tied to a chair. Howard inhaled slowly as he looked at the blindfolded and gagged man.

"What are you doing here?" Heidi asked from behind him startling him.

"Who…" Howard asked trailing off.

"His name is Willem Viceroy the third" Heidi answered.

"Why is he…?"

"I kidnapped him"

"Of course, of course, why didn't you tell me it was one of your usual kidnappings? Except it's not usual! Why did you kidnap this guy Heidi?!" Howard's voice exploded. "What were you thinking?! Is this why you gave mom and dad those vacation cruise tickets? So you could go around kidnapping people"

"Howard just trust me on this OK" Heidi answered emotionlessly.

"Why the juice should I?" Howard crossed his arms and gave Heidi a stern look.

"Because he can help us help Randy" Heidi answered as he walked up to Viceroy's form, which was breathing slowly in and out. "And he knows about the night Scott died"

Howard's face softened and he uncrossed his arms. "So what do we do?"

"Sorry little brother but I have to do this alone, ninja business" Heidi responded.

"But Cunningham's my friend too" Howard argued.

"I know he is" Heidi replied giving Howard a small smile and sad eyes. "But there are bigger things going on here Howard, but I'm going to make you a promise, I promise I'll get him back, I promise"

Howard clenched his jaw and looked at the ground. "I'm holding you to that"

"So am I" Heidi replied nodding, Howard nodded back and left the garage.

Heidi held another ninja ball in front of Viceroy, crushing it she released blue gas from the ball.

Viceroy jerked awake, his consciousness returned.

"W-where am I? Why can't I see anything?" Viceroy asked, panic creeping into his voice.

"You're blindfolded" Viceroy heard the voice of the ninja answer. "And where you are doesn't matter, what you're going to do for me does"

"Do for you?" viceroy questioned, his fear fading and turning into outrage at the situation. "I'm not doing anything for the shoob who kidnapped me!"

"Because Viceroy, being kidnapped would be the least bad thing I do to you" The ninja replied.

"You expect me to believe that?" Viceroy scoffed. "You're the ninja, you don't kill"

"You're assuming being dead is the worst thing that could happen to you" The ninja answered while pacing around Viceroy, her footsteps causing him to sweat. "You see I've got a _skill_ , it's called art of heal, as the name implies it heals things"

The ninja picked up a thin wooden stick lying on the garage floor. "Which means no matter how hurt you get I could heal you"

"So I can break you…" She said as she snapped the stick in half, the sound causing viceroy to flinch and imagine one of his limbs making that sound.

"And break you…" She said as she dropped one half and snapped the other again.

"And break you" She finished as the snapped the last half.

Viceroy was silent for a moment with his lips pursed.

"So…" Viceroy finally said his voice cracking unusually high. "What am I going to do exactly?"

"Randy Cunningham" The ninja said in a low threatening voice. "You'll be fixing whatever you did to him"

"I-I don't know how…" Viceroy trailed off unconvincingly.

"Don't play games with me Viceroy" The ninja threatened. "Whatever you did to him, your robot did to me right? That's right, I know it was your robot and I know you and Mcfist stole my sword and I know you were the shoobs that killed Scott Elinoff, so fix Randy"

"H-how did you find all that out?" Viceroy asked.

"Scott gave me the first clue with an audio file of Mcfist confessing, I connected the dots after" The ninja explained.

Viceroy sighed and shook his head. "Hannibal always was too self-absorbed to learn how to stop talking"

"You're dodging the question Viceroy" The ninja said. "Fix Randy, when this happened to me Randy bonked me, will that work on him"

Viceroy snorted. "If you can find a way to hit that boys impenetrable skull hard enough sure"

"Whats my other options" The ninja asked, tapping her foot.

Viceroy hummed in thought. "Well, the boys regenerative powers would be able destroy a normal dose of the fear serum, so to combat that we had to hit him with an extremely aggressive and constantly self-replicating modified version of the serum, but even then it only **barely** beats out his regeneration…"

"And?" The ninja asked, hoping he would continue.

"Aren't you going to ask me to "speak English" or so those Brock Octane movies say?" Viceroy asked.

"No I'm following, so keep going"

"Hmmm, smart girl" Viceroy complimented. "Well the thing is I could cook up a formula that could attack the serum, weakening it and allowing Randy's regenerative powers to get the upper hand and kill it, but I must warn you, like a cornered animal the serum will act up when it knows it's being attacked, it'll up the boys aggression two fold, so you'll need to survive until he finally regains his senses"

"How long" The ninja was almost afraid to learn the answer.

Viceroy muttered calculation under his breath. "10 minutes at least"

"10 minutes! "The ninja exclaimed. "There's no way I could last that long against…against…"

"Well you could speed up the process" Viceroy offered. "If you can somehow talk him down and get him calm, the serum should weaken even faster, even if it is in its feral state, somehow shock him back to his old self, but you also have to be careful there is a chance you could get him angrier and hooo boy"

The ninja walked over to a desk. She tapped her fingers on the desk then opened a drawer and pulled out a black box with a red button on top. "Nullifier" She said in a still voice.

"What?"

"The nullifier" She repeated, louder this time. "What if I use the nullifier?"

"Brilliant!" Viceroy exclaimed. "Why didn't I think of that, just use it and all your problems will be solved"

"Yeah but what will happen to Randy if I take away his powers while he has that fear serum in him" She asked.

"Oh" Viceroy raised an eyebrow underneath his blindfold. "Well like I said we had to use a much more aggressive version of the fear serum and his regeneration is what keeps it level in his body, so remove the regeneration and serum would go rampant with nothing to hold it back on his now human body, he'd probably die of freight. But it might be the best chance you have at stopping his vendetta on you, so if I were you I'd focus on my own skin first honey"

"You're not me" The ninja said as she gripped the nullifier. "Start working on the formula, guess I have no choice but to try and survive for 10 minutes"

"At least" Viceroy added. "Also how am I supposed to work without my equipment?"

"Make a list" The ninja commanded. "I'll take care of the rest"

As the ninja left, the nullifier was no longer on the desk.

* * *

"Viceroy! Where are you?!" Mcfist bellowed as he trudged down a hallway of his company, scratching his chest. "My skin is itchy and I need some sciency thing to calm it down"

"And don't give me that 'Sir, I'm not that kind of doctor' spiel again—" Mcfist couldn't finish as he stepped into Viceroy's lab and found, nothing.

The entire place had been ransacked, all his equipment was gone. Mcfist pursed his lips and continued to look around while scratching his chest.

"I'm taking this out of your pay Viceroy, I hope you know that" He announced hoping to get the scientist out of hiding, to no avail.

"Where is he, my chest is really itchy" Mcfist said as he began undoing his tie and shirt buttons.

He began scratching his hairy chest, the itch persevering, unconsciously he began scratching his chest with his robot arm. He stopped in alarm when he heard a scarping/grating sounds coming from his scratches.

"What the?" He asked as he looked down, seeing as how he had somehow scratched his chests skin off. He began ripping more and more off until a shiny blue metallic surface was revealed underneath.

Mcfist cocked a grin as he ran his hand across his new skin.

* * *

Viceroy finished concocting a yellow formula and siphoned it into a small black pellet.

"Here" He said handing the pellet to the fully suited up ninja. "This should do the trick"

The ninja grunted and put the pellet into her sash belt.

"So all you have to do is hit him" Viceroy said. "Survive for 10 minutes"

"Or talk him down" The ninja finished.

"Yeah sure" Viceroy snorted. "Let's just cut the cheese, we both knew he was a threat, it's the reason you tried to take him out the first time isn't it? It's the reason Mcfist never locked him up or stopped him from becoming a "hero" he was scared of the kid vaporizing him, and now he's become the threat u were always scared he would be, so why don't you do us both a favour and take him out, words don't stop a wild animal like that hun, you know what stop him? A fist"

"You're just scared that after he squished me he'll figure out you and Mcfist were the real culprits" The ninja replied. "Then he'll come after you next"

"…Maybe" Viceroy mumbled, looking to the side.

"Plus I'm done with that" The ninja said. "I'm done never looking past what he can do and ignoring what he is, a kid, trying to do the right thing, I'm done acting like you and Mcfist and that lab coat guy, he's just a guy, he's my friend and my friend needs my help"

"You funeral" Viceroy shrugged.

"Don't go anywhere" The ninja said opening the garage door.

"Not like I can" Viceroy said dryly as he shook his leg which was shackled with a chain, the links of which were shaped like the norisu symbol and was connected to the wall of the Weinermans garage.

"If I don't comeback a kid in a gorilla mask and annoying personality will knock you out and when you wake up you'll be back at Mcfist's front door" The ninja said as she exited.

"Whatever" Viceroy slumped back into his stool. "I'm in the ninja's house and I can't even figure out who she is" He grumbled.

A gorilla masked boy his head in through the door of the garage soon after the ninja left, causing Viceroy to raise an eyebrow.

"She's dead already?" Viceroy asked.

"What?" The gorilla masked boy responded, before coming into the garage with a toaster in his hands. "No? Anyway the toaster is broken and I want you to fix it, also u got any video games? Could you make me any video games?"

Viceroy could merely sigh as he slumped further into his seat.

* * *

The ninja ran her hands across the Cunninghams house wall, she felt it's withered and chipped walls, the old and new burn marks, the place Randy had lost 3 parents. If Heidi wasn't careful it would be the place he would lose his friend and himself. She pulled out the nullifier from her belt sash for a moment staring sadly at it then placing it back and pulling something else out.

The ninja heaved a heavy sigh as she rolled a small red pellet between her fingers, after one more sigh she threw it in the air, high enough that everyone would probably see it, but only one person would come investigate. The pellet exploded into a cloud that was shaped like the ninja mask.

The wind blew away the smoke revealing a figure behind it, moonlight illuminating his back. His tuxedo's remains clung loosely on his uniform, but with no helmet hiding the rage in his eyes. Randy hovered in the air his eyes blazing like prison lights shining down on a criminal trying to escape.

He dropped down suddenly, bending his knees slightly as he landed. The lights in his eyes faded and the ninja could see his pupils still shone yellow and his sclera still seeped in blackness.

"Finally" he seethed. "There you are"

In Randy's eyes he didn't see his former hero, he saw a twisted creature whose limbs were too long for its body with talons on each end, and a gaping maw full of sharp teeth graced its masked face with its pointed tongue lolling out.

"Randy" the ninja started as she began walking towards him.

"You took Scott from me" Randy said bitterly as he started walking towards her as well. "So now I'm going to take you out"

"You're being _played_ " The ninja insisted as they got closer to each other. "You don't understand"

They reached each other, face to face, but Randy was looking at the ground. He raised a shaky hand, he almost looked confused.

Suddenly his head snapped up, a rage in his eyes that was bursting underneath. "Oh I understand!"

His hand stopped shaking and he pushed the ninja, his single push had enough power to knock her back half a football field away.

She grunted and yelled in pain and panicked as she skidded through the air, even as she touched the ground her momentum did not slow. She crashed first through lawn then through the house wall then outside the other end and finally she stopped as she crashed into the garbage and trashcans behind the house, litter and filth flying everywhere.

She got up and recoiled in pain, fighting the urge to scream as she felt her shoulder, it had been dislodged. She heaved slow breaths as she calmed herself down, then she leaned against the wall with her dislodged shoulder and pressed as hard as she could, she screamed as she forcefully popped her arm back into place. She sighed as it fell back into her socket, doing a few test grabs at the air with her hand to make sure it was ok.

The ninja felt around her body, still feeling the slight sting from the bruises and cuts she had received earlier that day.

The ninja listened intently on the air, a whistling sounding coming straight for her. Without even looking up she jumped and rolled, barely dodging a Sentinel who crashed into the ground where she once stood.

"I _understand_ that you tricked me!" He emerged from the rubble. "I understand that…I was stupid to trust you, and that you never trusted me"

He snapped his head towards her and unleashed a blast of energy that light up the night from his eyes. The ninja left sprinting as Randy burned the ground behind her heels. She turned, eyes shut and chucked a ninja flash ball at Randy, exploding when it made contact with Randy's energy vision, blinding him.

The ninja wasted no time and threw a couple of ninja boom balls, exploding on impact with Randy's body. As he fell out of the air the ninja leaped and tackled him to the ground gaining an "oof" from the boy as they landed with the ninja straddling him.

"Dang it Randy" The ninja barked, while she tried to hold down Randy's arms. "I don't want to fight you!"

"Fine" Randy said as his vision came back. "Because I want to kill you!"

Randy easily wrestled his arms free from the ninjas grip, then reared his fist back and punched the ninja square in the jaw. Sending her flying backwards and crashing right next to the hole she had made on the Cunninghams house.

The ninja got her baring's and instantly started gripping her head in panic, only to find it still attached to her neck. Her head should have come clean off? She looked over to see a look of bewilderment on Randy's face too. Randy shook his head, taking his sneer back and rising once again.

The ninja rose to and ran into the building dropping an orange ball on the ground. Red smoke filled the darkened house obscuring all within.

"Not this again" Randy said with equal parts anger and exasperation.

He rushed into the smoke with great speed, sliding on the soles of his boots as he came to a stop in the middle of it.

He snapped his head and his hand just in time to catch a small black ball, Randy held it tight in his palm and it exploded, the pressure of his hand greatly muffling it. From the opposite side another one came flying towards him and Randy did the same.

Randy rolled his eyes as he saw another one roll towards him and stopped at his feet.

"I'm getting tired of these tricks" He said as he stepped on the last ball on the ground and crushed it, expecting another explosion.

Instead a yellow gas erupted and attacked Randy's lungs. Randy choked on the air, crumpling to his knees as the formula travelled through his body.

As the smoke cleared the ninja stood on the other side of the living room from him.

"Just 10 minutes" The ninja said to herself, as she watched the purple haired boy writhe.

Randy snapped his head up, his yellow pupils completely lost, only pitch black orbs occupied his eye sockets. He twisted his body, arms stretched forward, and rocketed towards the ninja.

The ninja spun to try and avoid, barely dodging and only getting clipped on the shoulder, but with enough force to send her to the ground regardless. She covered her face as she was sprayed with dust, looking up she saw he had barrelled through three rooms and gulped when she realized she would have been cut in half by a tackle like that.

"10…minutes…" She repeated in horror as she realized there was no way she would be able to surviving that long. "Ok, plan B, talk him down"

"Randy…" The ninja starts. "You have to listen—"

She was interrupted by a piece of debris hitting her square on her head, knocking her to the floor. Randy stood hunched over, having thrown the debris, he heaved as he tried to bore a hole through the ninja with his stare (he could if he really wanted to though).

The ninjas head was ringing, everything looked fuzzy, she could only make out the shape of her _friend_ and even then he looked like a furious animal. _I'm pathetic,_ she chastised herself for being so pathetic, so powerless, so helpless to help her friend and save him. The ninja contemplated just lying there and letting Randy finish her off, but then she looked up as her vision cleared. His eyes, all she saw was the darkness, she longed for those eyes of adoration again. She grit her teeth, clenched her fist until her knuckles turned white and rose up off the ground, her black suit turning red.

"C'mon, I'm going to make you suffer" Randy growled as he saw the ninja rise and flames take her body.

Now in ninja rage, the ninja yelled a battle cry as she and Randy charged each other. The ninja used her superior skill and clear headedness to swiftly grab Randy by the shoulders, dodging his attacks and pinning him against a wall.

She reared her arm back, and firing a blast of flames from her elbow, she propelled her punch forward at incredible speed. She repeated the process punching Randy deeper and deeper into the wall, until they broke through the concrete to the next room. Wasting no time, the two grappled on the bathroom floor, the ninja getting Randy in a sleeper hold.

"You never trusted me!" Randy spat as he fought against her ninja raged enhanced strength. "How long?! How long have you been tricking me?!"

"Think Randy!" The ninja screamed. "Why would I agree to be your partner if that was true?"

"Because you're a psycho!" Randy replied struggling more violently now. "You went after Scott to get to me!"

He burst out of the ninjas hold, flinging her against the wall. Randy looked ready to charge once again, so the ninja blasted him with a torrent of fire blinding him and inhibiting his movements.

Randy walked forward against the force of the flames, she was holding back enough to not seriously harm him, but letting enough loose to push him back. Against the flames power, Randy pushed through, but as the flames disappeared he saw that the ninja was now holding the bathroom sink in one hand. With a sickening crunch she swung the marble sink at Randy, shattering it on his jaw causing him to stagger back. She used his momentary distraction to kick him square on the chest, sending him sliding on his back backwards, through the bathtub.

Randy felt a slight tug on his left foot and looked at it, seeing the ninjas black scarf on it.

"Don't make me do this Randy" The ninja said as she held the other end of her scarf. "I know you're still in there, if you wanted to, you could have vaporized me or punched my head off or something, but you didn't, because you're still in there"

"I…hate…you" Randy groaned as the ninja grit her teeth.

The ninja with impossible strength flung Randy through the air, using his body to bulldoze through every room and wall in his old house, spinning him in a circle until the houses infrastructure finally collapsed and caved on both of them.

The ninja punched through some rubble to escape the cave in, her own glowing suit had provided her with light. For the first time that night she looked down at her suit, still in ninja rage, she had lasted longer than she had ever done before and she didn't feel tired at all.

Randy shot out of the rubble into the air like a rocket, and the ninja drew her flaming sword and faced the boy. She saw the rage in his eyes had not waned in fact he looked angrier than ever.

She looked at her sword, the sword used to kill Scott and she decided on what she had to do. The ninja deactivated her ninja rage, temporarily stunning Randy but he soon recovered.

The ninja then slackened her stance and pulled out the nullifier. Randy's face scrunched up in anger and panic, he blasted forward in a blur grabbing the ninja and pinning her to the ruined remains of his old bedroom wall. Using one of his forearm he held the ninja in place by her neck and with the other he had taken the weapon used to kill Scott.

"Press that button and…and…" He was bewildered when his pitch black eyes drifted to the nullifier and he found that the ninja had crushed it in her palm. He looked back up with confused eyes, meeting the ninja resolute ones.

Neither said a word, but Randy grit his teeth and aimed the ninja's sword at her own heart, applying pressure to his forearm he began to choke her.

"You really had the town going for a second, you really had me going for a second too" He growled, staring at the ninjas eyes, still so determined, yet still so gentle and forgiving. Randy swallowed hard. "You…you really got them to believe you were a hero, but then you took Scott...And, and I saw the truth" His voice began to crack.

His hand shook as he held it to his former heroes' heart, his jaw quivering. "You're not a hero, you were never even my friend"

The ninja just dropped the broken remains of the nullifier. Staring back at Randy with eyes that made him feel _safe_ , which scared Randy.

"Well?" He asked almost desperately. "Say something, anything. Just…just say something!"

A few seconds felt like an agonizing eternity to Randy, until finally the ninja's mouth opened.

"Randy" She said in a comforting voice, staring intently into his pitch black eyes. "It's just you and me here, Ok?"

Randy felt like he was being buried alive by his collapsed house again, time seemed to standstill.

 _As Mcfist finished his opening speech, which Randy and Heidi were not listening to, Heidi took Randy's hand gently as to not startle or pressure him._

 _"Randy, Randy hey" Heidi whispered, causing Randy to stare into her eyes. "It's just you and me here OK?..."_

Randy swallowed hard and licked his lips his eyes darting around frantically. "W-why, why would you say? How would you? I-I don't…"

"Nothing else" The ninja continued.

"… _Nothing else…"_

"I don't understand…" Randy's lip quivered, as his eyes began to alternate between their pitch blackness and its regular colors.

The ninja slowly reached up her hand to her own face, Randy watched as her hand began to pull off her mask, the magic wrapping retreating into it. "Just you and me"

"… _Just you and me"_

Randy staggered backwards as the darkness completely left him, his eyes their regular electric blue now and his sclera perfectly white.

"H-heidi?" He asked in bewilderment. "But you were…and I was about to…" He looked at the sword in his hand, he slowly unfurled his fingers and let the sword slip from his hand. "Scott?"

Heidi reached out and Randy leaned into her, accepting her hug. Randy let the tears escape his eyes and fall down his face as Heidi stroked his back.

"It's ok" Heidi murmured soothingly into his ear. "Everything will be ok, Randy"

* * *

 **Aghhhhh finally this chapter is donneee, time for things to somehow get even more intense next chapter.**

 **Once again I'd love to hear ur reviews :D**


	14. Chapter 14

**Ahhh im annoyed that it took so long to write this chapter despite it being quite short, im sorry guys, school is starting up again and I am busy, I have a full week of classes' haha '_'**

 **Anyway as I said school is starting and that takes priority, but don't worry im fully committed to finishing this story then afterwards im gonna take a break from writing probably, just until I fall back into a comfortable groove with school again**

 **Anyway no action in this chapter, but i assure u there will be quite a lot in the next, onto the chapter.**

* * *

Randy and Heidi had arrived at Randy's current house, Randy having looked at the ground the entire trip. He reached the door, levitated to the gutters above his door and pulled out a small key hidden within.

Randy breathed a heavy sigh as he aligned the key with the lock, he hesitated, swallowing hard and hands shaking. He shut his eyes, not sure if he could do it, until he felt fingers interlock with his own. He opened his eyes to see Heidi standing next to him, holding his hand and giving it a gentle squeeze.

Randy sighed and unlocked the room, his shoulders visibly slumping when he peered into the darkened house.

"I know it's stupid" Randy said, more to himself than Heidi. "But I wanted to open the door and…"

"See him standing there" Heidi finished, continuing to squeeze Randy's hand.

Randy led Heidi inside, not letting go of her hand. They made their way upstairs, Randy using his hands to trail up the walls. Dragging his fingers across the paint he and Scott had coated the walls with, he stopped when he reached a framed picture. A picture of all the McForcers and a 12 year old him, the first time he learned how to fly, Scott was on his tip toes holding on to Randy's ankles to stop him from drifting away, the other McForcers laughing.

He continued onwards, bringing Heidi to his room. Randy let go of her hand as he opened the door and led them inside, Scott's laptop waiting on his bed.

"He left something for you" Heidi explained, taking a seat on the bed and opening the laptop. "But I don't know the password"

"Show time" Randy said as he sat next to her, opened the file and typed. "It was something my dad used to say, I started saying it a lot too. My dad…."

Randy just stared blankly at the screen as the program opened and a video file filled the screen.

"Is this why I don't remember anything about my parents dying?" Randy asked. "Because if it hurts anything like how it hurts now, then…little me had the right idea blocking it out"

Heidi hugged Randy and circled her arms around him, laying her head on the crook of his neck. Randy laid his head on hers and sighed.

"Thanks Heidi" He said quietly. "I'm ok now, also thanks, for putting up with hugging my unbathed body"

Heidi let go of him and chuckled. "I didn't want to say anything"

"Well I'm a few days overdue for a bath so, I think I'm gonna take one before we watch the video" Randy told her before getting up.

"I don't mind, I need to patch myself up" Heidi replied. "Didn't your mom ever teach you not to handle a lady so roughly?"

Randy winced. "Yeah, sorr—"

Heidi held up her hand, cutting Randy off. "You've apologized a hundred times on the way here, shoob. And I remind you every time, it wasn't your fault"

Randy smiled and walked towards his bathroom, stooping and tapping his finger on the door frame. Turning slowly and leaning on it he rolled his jaw.

"So" He said, extending the 'o'. "You're the ninja…"

"Yup" Heidi answered, looking away.

"I'm not…mad, if you thought I was" Randy explained. "Well I mean I guess you knew that, because then I probably would have killed you when I went wonky an—"

"I was scared" Heidi admitted, shutting her eyes. "And a little jealous, I guess, I was scared that if you and everyone else found out who I really was, just a normal fragile student, not a symbol, not an 800 year old immortal, just regular, weak Heidi Weinerman, then you'd realize that the ninja wasn't needed anymore, not with guys like you around, that the lab coat guy was right, the ninja is just a thing of the past, not strong enough anymore"

All of the guilt and shame she had bottled up, washed over her like rain. Gripping the bed sheets tightly she waited for him do something, say that was a stupid reason, that he was angry now, to say she was right, but she heard nothing. She cracked an eye open and just saw him smiling at her.

"I could spend the whole night telling you how you're more than normal, not weak, how you're not fragile" Randy said. "But I'm just going to tell you, the you, you just put down, she's saved my life so many times already, she's my hero"

With that Randy went into the bathroom as a warm feeling filled Heidi and lifted a huge weight of her chest. She smiled softly at the bed running her fingers over Randy bed sheets, stopping when she realized something. She was in Randy's room, on his bed, while he was naked in the next room, she decided that she needed to do something to distract that line of thinking.

Randy closed his eyes as he let the shower wash over him. Four days' worth of grim slipped of him and went down the drain with the warm water washing over him. Randy leaned on the wall with his right hand remembering everything that happened, all the hurt and the pain, he wished the water would wash that away too, to cleanse him, it didn't.

Randy stepped out and dried himself off with a towel, going over to the rack he grabbed the clothes he prepared for himself, then grimaced when he realized he had forgotten something. Sighing in resignation he swallowed his pride.

"Heidi…" He called out.

"Yeah?" Came her half yell reply.

"Can you…" Randy exhaled and massaged his forehead. "Can you get me some underwear at the bottom drawer?" he wasn't sure if he heard her stifle a giggle but he was sure he heard something.

Randy stood near the door with a towel around his waist (just in case). Now he was sure Heidi had stifled a giggle early because she was full on laughing now, his face flushed knowing why. The door opened a crack and Heidi's hand come through holding his underwear. Curiously Heidi's hand was covered in band aids and wrapping, but Randy had no time to question.

"Green briefs?" She said in between laughs.

He grabbed them hastily. "I didn't think the color mattered OK? It's not like anyone can see them with my pants on…" he mumbled.

"Whatever shoob" He heard her reply, still giggling as she closed the door.

Randy huffed indignantly and put on his clothes.

Exiting the bathroom with fresh clothes, he went back into his room. He raised a confused eyebrow as he saw the ninja has apparently covered her wounds and bruises in bandages while he was bathing, looking to the side he noticed a black and red first aid kit.

"Where did you get the?" He said motioning to the first aid kit with his eyes.

"The ninja suit" Heidi replied.

"Wow" Randy said as he walked towards her plopped down on his bed next to her. "That thing has everything, huh?"

"Would you believe me if I said it has a door wedge and ukulele too?" She replied, smiling.

"No way" Randy chuckled. "Let me borrow it sometime"

"No offense" Heidi jokingly scoffed. "But you'd make the wonkiest ninja"

Randy placed a hand over his heart, smiling. "You have offended me madam"

"Have I now?" Heidi said leaning closer, a cocky grin on her face. As she leaned some of her hair swung, covering her right eye.

"Yes you have" Randy said leaning closer too. Instinctively he reached out and pushed Heidi hair away and tucked it behind her ear.

The two froze, caught in the moment, looking into each other's eyes as they did a few nights ago. The two leaned closer eager to recapture the feeling of each other's lips that they had almost forgot since the night of the dance, but as per usual with these types of situations, something had to interrupt them.

A catchy pop song blared from Heidi's pocket, causing her to grimace and Randy to give a snort of amusement. Heidi stood up, flashed Randy an apologetic smile and answered her phone.

Randy listened as Heidi answered the phone, deciding that once she was done, they would finally watch the video Scott had created.

"Yeah, Howard, I'm fine…No don't let him go yet we still might need him" Randy heard Heidi answer. "Yeah just….fine OK, just grab my credit card, buy a pizza and ONLY 1 pizza…..I'm serious Howard just 1 or I swear to cheese…"

Randy rolled his eyes at Howard's shenanigans.

"Sorry" Heidi apologized, Randy cutting her off with his hand and motioning for her to sit so they could watch the video.

As she sat Randy moved the mouse over the play button, trembling slightly then clicking play.

"Help me Obi Wan Kenobi" Scott said on screen. "You're my only hope…Hahahahaha, ahhh, wait does the green light mean its recording or?..."

Randy laughed, despite the pain and the hurt that came with seeing Scott's face again, he laughed. Tears hung on his lashes as he laughed, unsure which emotion the tears came from, maybe a mix of both.

"Randy" Scott said gently. "If this part hasn't been cut out of the video that means I've probably been killed, and most likely by the same man who killed your parents Randy"

Randy suddenly got deadly serious as he clutched his beds wooden frame in frustration.

"Mcfist" He muttered at the same time Scott delivered the answer. A sicken crunch came from the bed frame as Randy had crushed it, holding back enough to not completely destroy it.

Randy could barely believe it when Heidi had told him the true culprit on the way home, the man had taken Randy in, but that doubt had turned into burning rage now that Scott had solidified who Randy's enemy was .

"It was him all along Randy, the whole time he's been lying and scheming, but it ends now" Scott said. "But before that, Randy I just to let you know how proud of you I am"

Scott's features softened. "I've been proud of you ever since you landed on my lap, at first I thought you were just a job that was forced on me by my boss, but you became so much more, I wish I'd had the courage back then, the courage to call you my son, but I was scared you'd reject me as a father, I knew I could never replace your dad, but all those years watching you my mind would all was go to the thought 'there he goes, my son' I've loved you like you were my own flesh and blood, I can only hope you did the same for me.

"But I'm content and disappointed, with the time I spent raising you, and how little it probably ended up being, but they'll stay with me forever." Randy listened intently, internalizing and memorizing every word that came out of his _father's_ mouth as tears flowed down his cheeks.

"You're my son Randy, that's why I did this alone" Scott continued. "Like all fathers, I wanted to protect you, at first I was scared that you investigating this with me would have set your emotions off, and you'd have become what everyone feared you would be, a monster fuelled by rage. But I was wrong, I saw the pain you felt every time you tried to think about your parents, you just wanted justice, and I wanted you to have that without it turning into revenge, if you had went down that path It would have broken my heart, to see the hero your parents would have been proud of fall like that, that's why by the time I've reached this part of the video, the program you opened to watch this video would have already sent all the evidence on this computer needed to put Mcfist away to the Norrisville police department, it's done Randy everything is done, there will be justice"

Randy and Heidi gasped.

"Everything before this part of the video would have been cut and sent to the police as well" Scott continued now stoic faced. "To the NPD in all the files you will find evidence of all of Mcfist's illegal activities, secret weapon development, black market dealings, corporate espionage and sabotage, murder and more..."

At that point Randy knew the rest of the video was for the police and not for him, so he stopped the video, wiped his tears, and then flumped down onto his bed.

Heidi's reached out for Randy's hand, but he turned over on his side, silent. Heidi's phone vibrated, she picked it up.

"Hey Heidi" Howard said on the other side. "When are you gonna get home? I'm getting tired of hanging with this scientist guy"

"Howard…" Heidi groaned. "Listen I'm on my way ho—"

She was interrupted when she felt Randy's hand on her own, he grasped lightly, seeking comfort. "Stay…please" She heard him almost whisper.

"Howard" Heidi said as she looked at Randy with sad eyes. "I'm not gonna be home tonight, I'll be at a friend's"

"Fine, ugh" Howard complained. "Guess I'll just read your diary to pass the time…"

Simply rolling her eyes and hanging up as a reply, Heidi ended the call. She got into the bed next to Randy, he still slept on his side with his back to her.

She had figures that he had gone to bed, when she heard him murmur.

"Thanks…"

Heidi turned, lying on her side as well, circling him with her arms as a reply, Randy gladly accepted the hug, and soon the two let their weariness take over, giving themselves the rest they deserved.

* * *

The day after Heidi awoke, sitting up and stretching she raised a confused eyebrow at the distinct lack of pink in her room. _Oh yeah, it's not my room_ , she remembered. She looked under the covers to find no sign of the boy she shared a bed with.

She left the room and walked down the stairs, she found Randy in the living room eating a bowl of cereal on the couch.

"Morning" He greeted, he was rested but his eyes still looked hollow, he picked up a second bowl of cereal and held it out for her. "You woke up just in time, made you a bowl"

"Just in time for what" Heidi asked as she accepted the bowl and sat down next to him.

Randy picked up the remote and switched on the TV, setting it to the Norrisville news channel.

"As soon as one of the policemen let it slip to the press that Mcfist was about to be arrested every news station in Norrisville camped outside Mcfist industries to get a shot of the action" Randy answered, an emptiness in is voice. "The police are going to storm the building in a few minutes"

A thought suddenly hit Heidi like a fire truck. "Oh wonk!" Heidi yelled hitting her forehead with her palm, causing Randy to flinch. "I should have told Howard to cover this!"

Randy laughed, but Heidi could tell he was forcing it a bit.

"Are you OK?" Heidi said, placing a comforting hand on Randy's shoulder.

"I'm not sure" Randy shrugged. "Honestly, a part of me is saying that this is enough, that I should be glad, but another part of me, a part that sounds a lot like the me that was poisoned with fear formula, says that I should have more, that Mcfist needs to suffer, but I know that's not what Scott would want"

"He's going to get justice Randy" Heidi said firmly. "That'll be enough"

Randy rolled his jaw and offered no reply. The two turned to the TV just in time for the arrest to start, a news anchor stood in front of a camera with Mcfist industries behind her.

The news graphics having titles such as "Loveable town gazillionaire actually corrupt scoundrel? Who would have guessed it?".

"This is Kristen Avery with the Norrsville news live, here to break to you what might be the story of the century" The anchor reported from Mcfist industries. "In a shocking reveal, Hannibal Mcfist, beloved philanthropist, has been revealed to be involved in multiple crimes ranging from tax fraud to cold blooded murder"

"The latest heir to the Mcfist empire, Mcfist has tarnished his family's' legacy, the Mcfists are agreed among all known Norrisville historians as the business that saved Norrisville from bankruptcy multiple times, bolstering its economy whenever times got dire, but now it seems there was more dastardly things going on under the surface" Kristen reported. "The policemen are currently strategizing a way of getting into Mcfist industries as Mcfist as refused to leave, the policemen are stumped as they have no way of storming the building while its fully automated and high-tech defences are online, it seems, wait! Something happening!"

The massive doors of Mcfist industries screeched open as a group of men led a handcuffed Hannibal Mcfist out.

"It seems Mcfist has been apprehended by his own security/peace keeping force the McForcers!" Kristen announced to the camera. "No surprise considering the police had pieced together that their commanding officer, Scott Elinoff, was murdered by Mcfist in an attempt to stop the Mr. Elinoff from releasing all of Mcfist's incriminating evidence"

Kristen and her cameraman made a wild dash towards Mcfist, trying to get to him before the other reporters. Kristen had reached him first, and Mcfist stopped to smile that loveable smile to the camera. Despite both the police and the McForcemens efforts, they found that they could not move Mcfist away, he was firmly cemented on the ground like a thousand pound chunk of iron.

"Mr. Mcfist!" Kristen asked. "How does it feel to know all you're crimes are now coming to light, and you will now undoubtedly face the harshest punishment available for you?"

Mcfist laughed jollily, the McForcemen and the police still trying to move him with all their might and failing.

"How do I feel about this town betraying everything me and my family's done for it like a bunch of ingrates?" Mcfist said to the microphone. "Why Kristen"

Mcfist separated his arms destroying his handcuffs, instantly the McForcemen pulled out their tazer guns and aimed it at Mcfist, commanding him to lay down and put his hands on his head.

Mcfists eyes glowed an unearthly yellow, the men firing their tazers, which showed no effect on Mcfist even as multiple wires had connected to his body.

Randy and Heidi stood from their seats slowly in fear.

"He wouldn't" Randy mumbled and hoped.

"I've never felt better" Mcfist said just before his eyes glowed brighter and suddenly the entire video turned white, and then static.

The TV switched to another anchor man sitting at a desk, his finger to his ear piece.

"It seems we've lost our video feed" The anchor man said, visibly looking panicked. "Switching to a helicopter camera"

As soon as the video switched back to Mcfist industries Randy and Heidi gasped in horror, Heidi's hands covering her mouth and Randy clenching his fists until his knuckles turned white. From an aerial view they saw a scorched wasteland, a huge smouldering crater now stood in front of Mcfist industries, the front of the building itself was vaporized leaving a gaping hole half the size of the pyramid at the front of it.

The camera zoomed in on a lone figure standing in the middle of the scorched earth, surrounded by skeletons made of ash with their arms up to futilely try and block their own doom. Mcfist stood triumphant, clothes partially town and tattered with a grin on his face and looking towards the camera, his arms spread wide like he had just presented a dazzling performance on a stage for all the world to see.

"All those people…" Heidi said, her voice nearly breaking.

Randy ground his teeth and growled. "He's a dead man"

* * *

 **We're drawing to a close with this story, i'd estimate we're 2/3rd of the story done, so hope u bare with my late schedules until the end!**

 **Review on what you think :D**


	15. Chapter 15

**Somehow found the time to make this, mm sorry again about the long updates, just yknow**

 **Anyway here we go, a lot of fighting in this chapter**

 _ **XD asked: Have you ever made a rated M fic? Because I think you would do it great.**_

 **Nah not really, if u mean like nsfw like smutty then no I get embarrassed really easy, that make out scene I wrote for this was…tough. If you mean with more like darker themes then no either, I kind of like idk, dabbling pieces of dark themes into a story I guess? Idk if I succeed on that tho haha, but who knows I might consider it someday.**

 **Onto the fic!**

* * *

"I'm gonna kill him" Randy snarled as he barged into his closet room, Heidi in tow. Pushing hangers and clothes away he reached for a hidden handle, pressing it, the wall slid open to reveal his Sentinel uniform, Randy glared angrily at the Mcfist logo on the chest.

"Randy no" Heidi said grabbing his arm. "This is exactly what Scott didn't want to happen to you"

"Don't give me that wonk Heidi" Randy accused. "This isn't about me, this is about what he did, and he deserves to be punished for it, he's too dangerous"

"That I agree with" Heidi said as she pulled out her ninja mask. "But you need to ask yourself, are you going to kill him for justice or for revenge, and then ask which choice Scott would be disappointed in"

Randy stared hard at the ground and grunted in frustration. Momentarily unfurrowing his angry brow he noticed a box at the bottom of his closet with a note attached to it.

 _Your suits here! Hope you like it kid!_

 _-Scott_

"Look Randy if he resists and we have no choice then…" Heidi said. "Then we have to put him down, permanently, I won't agree with it, but I'll accept it if it's the only choice we have"

Heidi saw Randy begin to remove his shirt, face reddening she turned away from the view of his toned back.

"If I went through what you went through then I probably would want to do the same Randy" Heidi explained, back still turned. "I'm just scared that if you cross the line now, while your head is still messed up from everything that's happened, I'm scared you'll change into something…something _bad_. So we try and take him in peacefully first, Ok?"

Heidi heard a soft sigh of resignation. "Ok"

She turned to see him wearing a new suit, the changes were mostly subtle such as the placement of the blues and blacks being in different patterns, but gone was the Mcfist logo, instead an octagon with the profile of a roman helmet inside replaced it.

"Let's go then" Randy said with steely determination, activating his helmet, the black visor covering his face.

Heidi nodded with the same amount of resolve in her eyes and slipped the ninja mask on her face.

[```````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````````]

A news copter circled the crater where Mcfist stood in his ruined blazer and shirt, catching everything Mcfist did on camera for all of norrisville to see. After a few minutes the helicopter decided to risk getting closer, and nearly paid the consequences.

Mcfist put his hand on a piece of rubble bigger than a truck, with a low grunt he lifted it up with one hand, his biceps bulging so much the skin around his arm ripped, showing off slits of a metallic surface underneath. Grinning at his own feat of super strength Mcfist chucked the piece of debris at the copter.

The copter barely dodged, news crew and pilot screaming. Mcfist waged a finger at them, warning them not to get too close. They complied and backed off.

Suddenly a whistling sound followed by a thunderous crack erupted in the sky. The cameraman turned just in time to see a blue/red/black blur streak through the air and landed in crater with enough force the shockwave of their landing blew away all the ashes of the vaporized citizen unfortunate to be there when Mcfist decided to explode (both literally and figuratively).

"Finally" Mcfist said. "This is it kid, you and me, final showdown and…you brought the ninja? Well I guess if I was going to die I wouldn't want to die alone either, but at least pick someone who could actually hurt me sheesh"

Sentinel looked ready to attack Mcfist then and there, but the ninja put a hand on his chest.

"Mcfist" She called back to him with a calm voice, but anger boiled beneath it. "You've killed people, and as Norrisville's protectors we can't let you go, so give it up, there's two of us and one of you. We can end this without a fight"

"But I **want** a fight" Mcfist insisted. "Money, influence, the love of the city, they were all nothing compared to guys like you, you made a Mcfits feel like nothing and that is something I'm not gonna stand by, but now I have some **real** power and I'm itching to test it out, that is if the ninja can even put up a fight"

Sentinel looked to the ninja, who nodded signalling that if it was a fight Mcfist wanted it's a fight he's going to get. Sentinel cracked his knuckles as the ninja reached into her scarf and pulled out her ninja sword.

Mcfist curled his metal arms' fingers slowly and grinned at the two.

Surprisingly the ninja leapt first, yelling a battle cry as she zoomed through the smouldering crater like a bullet, Randy pursed his lips reared his fists back and followed.

Mcfist jumped too, but not as hard or fast as the ninja, instead he used the impact of his jump to land and slide on the gravel and debris, causing little bits of concrete and metal to explode upon impact, showering the ninja with debris, which she blocked with her sword but blocked her vision in return. Her clouded vision really didn't help as she swung to soon, missing Mcfist's foot by a hairs breath, She was sure she was about to get squashed then and there, luckily Sentinel swooped in attempting to tackle Mcfist, Mcfist however side stepped and focused on the Sentinel, leaving him open for the ninja.

Wasting no time, the ninja coiled her scarf around Mcfist's calf and pulled with all her might, pulling Mcfists' feet from under him, while he was in the air, Sentinel redid his tackle but succeeded and drove Mcfist into the ground, the explosion of debris and dust pushing the ninja a few feet away.

Sentinel hovered upwards, waiting for the dust to settle, once it did and Mcfist was visible, Sentinel attempted to drive him further into the ground with another tackle. Mcfist got up in a split second and rolled to the side as he got up, Sentinel stopped his charge before burying himself into the ground, but his distraction allowed Mcfist to punch him with enough force that the businessman's' fist broke the sound barrier, sending Sentinel flying away like a baseball pitched by superman.

Mcfist grinned as he saw Sentinel fly away, but his lips frowned when he felt a small flick on his head. Reaching up he felt a small disc shaped figure protruding from the side of his head. Pulling it off, he found a circular blade with no blood on it, snapping an angry glare at the thrower of the ninja ring he crushed it in his hand.

Gulping down some mild panic the ninja prepared got in a battle stance and held her sword high.

"You" Mcfist snarled as the ninja noted that the wound on Mcfist's head did not bleed, it seems like she broke the thin layer of skin but underneath was a shiny blue metallic surface. "You're getting annoying"

Mcfist's eyes glowed bright yellow before he fired a powerful column of energy from them, the ninja having no time to dodge decided to block the beam with her sword.

Holding the blade's front side out and horizontally she immediately felt it get pressed to her chest as the beam overpowered her, she fought back, pushing with all her might and refusing to move her feet, her muscles screamed in exertion as she attempted to walk forward and push the beam back.

"Tired already ninja?" Mcfist taunted. "Let's see what happens when I turn up the juice!"

Leaning forward the beam of yellow energy widened and became wilder. The ninja yelled, her sword broke before her arms, the blade was shattered, luckily as she fell she dodged most of the beam, but her shoulder got singed right before she fell to the ground.

Mcfist was about to finish the job, but heard a whistling in the air. Side stepping quickly Sentinel nearly passed him, but Mcfist's hand was faster, grabbing Sentinels' leg Mcfist threw him to the ground, then just before he got up Mcfist charged and punted Sentinel with his shin, sending his skidding and rolling across the ground, with a roar of anger Randy was up again and charging straight at Mcfist.

The ninja rose, gripping her shoulder as she saw the two titans duke it out, she clenched her fist as watched helpless at Randy being overpowered. Sentinel must have calmed down and began thinking rationally, because he flew high enough that Mcfist couldn't reach him, a tactical retreat, but one Mcfist would not allow. Mcfist snapped his head and grinned at the ninja as she couldn't help but let a yelp of fear escape her lips.

As soon as the yellow energy left Mcfist's eyes, Sentinel flew as fast as he could to get to Heidi first. Barely making it, Sentinel stuck his hands and activated his absorption. But something was wrong, it burned, it burned Randy's hands, Randy yelled out in pain as the yellow energy reacted violently inside him before leaving through his hands and eyes, leaving him drained rather than rejuvenated. Randy crumpled to his knees and writhed in pain, his body still felt like it was on fire. The ninja crouched and held Randy, unsure of how to help.

"I'm not stupid boy" Mcfist spat, the skin around his eyelids had burned off revealing more of the shiny blue metal underneath, strolling until he was nearly right in front of the Sentinel and the ninja. "I made sure that the laser vision I got would mess you up if you tried your little absorption trick, but c'mon I expected more from you, so show me what you've got, or was killing Scott not a good enough motivator for ya"

Randy's head snapped up, despite the helmet his rage was apparent, the eyes blazing with cyan energy was a giveaway too. The hero screamed as he blasted Mcfist, causing him to stumble as he was drowned in a column of cyan energy, attempting to block it with his hands.

"You want what I've got?!" Randy screamed, emptying his lungs as he pushed himself. "Take it! Take it all!"

The ninja shielded her eyes and stepped back as the brightness was too much for her to take, through her fingers gaps she gasped in fear, as she saw Mcfist moving forward despite Randy's onslaught.

Randy's energy beams stopped when Mcfist grabbed Randy's face, his entire hand blocking Randy's eye beams. Randy had burned off all of Mcfist's skin, showing the impenetrable blue metal skin underneath, Mcfist used his other hand to rip off the few segments of human skin attached to him off, the rest of him finally resembled his robotic arm.

"I'll be honest" Mcfist said, grinning darkly. "I'm a little disappointed with what you've got"

And thus he threw Randy like a ragdoll a football yard away. The ninja was too stunned to move, she just stood there, knees shaking.

Randy punched the ground as he got up, his helmet now broken and showing off one of his eyes. He reared back and shot towards Mcfist like a missile. His eyes blazing again, this time drawing out everything he had, make sure no shred of energy in his body would be spared.

"Oh, round 2!" Mcfist exclaimed setting his own eyes a blaze.

The two unleashed their eye beams, cyan and yellow energy clashing. The two stood their ground as their energies battles, the power pushing away small debris and dust. With a "Hah!" of triumph, Mcfist pushed a little harder and blew Randy away, sending him flying and crashing into the foot of Mcfist's company, where part of it fell on him, burying the hero.

Heidi stood open mouthed, shaking like a leaf now. She took a step back, which seemed to wake Mcfist from his mental victory lap. Heidi gulped as Mcfist grinned at her, the flames caused by the energy duel illuminated him with a sinister glow.

"Boo" He said as he reared back and jumped towards her.

Heidi was a little ashamed of herself, but she ran, well ran wasn't the right word for it. She shot her scarf and it snagged the windowsill of one of the partially destroyed buildings, pulling herself towards it extremely fast she just barely dodged Mcfist crashing into the ground where she stood fist and shoulder first.

"Run run little ninja" She heard as she hung on the side of the building, looking up and snagging another building she barely dodged a beam of yellow energy that fried the building she used to be at, Mcfist didn't let up unfortunately and followed her with his eyes. She crashed into the other building, he burnt shoulder impacting against the wall and causing her to scream and fail to catch hold of the building, causing her to fall, that turned out to be the lucky move had she hung on the side of that building too she wouldn't have fallen fast enough to dodge the yellow energy that mowed the roof of the building. She landed with a grunt on the buildings balcony, wasting no time she threw a smokebomb into the air, clouding Mcfist's vision as he charged at her, she leaped, barely dodging as he crashed into the building behind her while she roll-landed on the ground.

"Look at that, the 800 year old protector of the town is running from me like a rat" Mcfist said as he jumped down and landed. "You're nothing now, nothing to me and nothing to this town! The Mcfists' have given this town everything, then you came along and won everyone over just because you were more powerful, so now the super powered shoe is on the other foot, how does it feel ninja, to know you will never be anything anymore?"

Attempting to run once more Heidi took a tumble tripping on a piece of debris. Heidi shielded her face when Mcfist landed close to her, showering her with bits of gravel and dirt.

"This is my city now, like it was always supposed to be" Mcfist declared. "McNorrisville"

"That is the stupidest thing I have ever heard of" Heidi rolled her eyes. "Norrisville belongs to the people, and if you don't have that then you don't have the city, and do you honestly think they are gonna follow a shoob like you after everything they saw here today?"

"Good point" Mcfist said. "If they won't love me, I can at least make sure they fear me"

Just as Heidi was about to ask, Randy exploded from the pile of debris and tackled MCfist, carrying him up up up into the atmosphere, until both were gone. Heidi got up and stared deeply into the sky, using her super senses to find any sign of them, and her senses yielded results as she saw something coming towards the ground, fast. She ducked and covered as something landed right next to her, she gasped when she found Randy's body inside instead of Mcfist's, crumpled and barely breathing.

"H-he…" Randy choked out barely hanging onto consciousness, as blood trickled down a gash on his forehead.

The clouds departed as a blue shiny blur flew through them and stopped right in front of the two heroes.

"He can fly" Heidi finished as she gazed upon Mcfist hovering in the air with a maliciously arrogant grin on his lips. "Oh wonk"

Landed with a thud, Mcfist sauntered to the two broken heroes, with a blood boiling and curdling strut that oozed arrogance.

"Stay away!" Heidi said, getting into a martial arts stance, but her shaky hands and knees betrayed her. In a flash he rushed over and grabbed her by the neck, picking her up and choking her with his 'normal' hand and picking Randy up with his robot arm.

Whistling towards the news copter that had been broadcasting the whole thing, he motioned for them to come closer with a nod of his head. Horrified, the crew drew closer, their camera's capturing every painful moment as Mcfist held the two teens high, like prey he had just caught.

"Citizens of Norrisville" Mcfist announced. "I now own this town in every possible way. Disobey me and I'll kill you, try and fight me and I will kill you, attempt to leave and I will kill you. You belong to me now, no heroes—"

He was interrupted by Randy stirring and trying to break free, Heidi holding off from passing out and hoping beyond hope that he succeeds.

"Woops" Mcfist said. "Can't have that"

In a sickening crunch tightened the grip on Randy's arm so much that he broke, Randy screamed out in pain before passing out. Heidi's dread could no longer be held, as she let the tears of her asphyxiation mix with her tears of despair.

"As I was saying" Mcfist continued. "No heroes will save you, they are dead"

He looked to Heidi and Randy, his eyes blazing with yellow energy. "800 years late, but looks like goodbye ninja, I'll take care of the town when you're gone" Mcfist gloated.

 _No_ , Heidi mentally repeated, the _no's_ growing more intense in her mind until it escaped her lips in a defiant yell. "NO!"

In an instant her suits colors had been inverted, red turning black and black turning red, and the suit glowing with a fiery glow. The heat was apparently too intense for Mcfist's hand as he let go of the two teens with a curse of pain.

"NO!" Heidi yelled, as the adrenaline brought her back from the dead, putting all her despair, shame and anger into her fist she punched Mcfist with flaming knuckles, so strong she sent him flying into a building at the far side of the crater, skidding and crashing through debris until a building stopped his motion.

The fire left Heidi as she fell to her knees, nearly vomiting with the insanely quick motions she had to do seconds after nearly being choked. She shuffled over to Randy's unconscious form and tried to wake him up but he would not leave dream land. A stirring in the rubble where she had blasted Mcfist caused her to gulp in fear, using her supervision she looked on closer to see he was still conscious, which was no surprise, but what was a surprise was that he was clutching where she had punched him in pain.

Mcfist writhed as his hand and chest was, normal? Not the new normal for him, metallic, but normal normal, with skin, and that skin was burned. From the tips of his fingers to the his wrist was a normal human hand then faded into metal, the same story with his chest, a burn shape resembling Heidi's fist was on an area of pure skin but the rest was the same metallic covering that was on the most of Mcfist's body. The metal began regrowing, covering his burned body parts once more, first his hand then his chest, but the metal adapted to the shape of Heidi's fist, as if Heidi had taken a branding iron and branded Mcfist on the chest. He looked down with eyes full of rage then turned towards Heidi, murder in his gaze.

So Heidi did the only sensible thing she could, she threw down a smokebomb and ran away.

* * *

All the while the whole fight was broadcasted to anyone who had cable TV, even say a deranged man in a black mask and lab coat living in a dark dank makeshift lad under the school.

His breathing came out slow, but was often disrupted by the static his voicebox attached to his chest made. Sitting on a desk chair and tapping two fingers on the side of his temple, he contemplated.

"A problem?" He said to himself. "Or maybe an opportunity"

* * *

 **Ayyyy finally done with this one, wooh, we're getting closer to the end of the Mcfist arc and then after that the final chapters, dun dun duuuun.**

 **Anyway, leave ur reviews :D**


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